The Fifth Liners

This article was originally posted on the the4thlinepodcast.com . For a quarter of a century, the NHL was a six team league. As the 1960s rumbled on, the NHL and the ‘original six’ teams decided (or relented, depending on how you look at it) that it was time to expand. Next year the NHL expands again as the Las Vegas Desert , Black , Silver , Something Knights will join, the first expansion team in 16 years. So, ahead of that, we’ll be taking a look at the teams that have joined the league over the years. With the addition of the six new teams, the league was split into the East and West divisions. The East consisted of the ‘original six’, the West of the expansion teams. California Seals The NHL’s expansion into California gave access to two of America’s more populous cities. The California Seals made the move from the Western Hockey League as part of the expansion. This in itself was a bad decision, one of many that would beset the Seals... Click HERE to continue r...

If you want to join Alex and myself in the  Fifth Liners NHL Bracket Challenge , feel free to join our league. Good luck! Quarter Final Predictions St Louis Blues v Minnesota Wild For this one, I have go with Minnesota Wild purely for the fact that they have been a real surprise package in the latter half of this season and I think they will be eager to please come playoff time! St Louis on the surface appears to be a perfect package after being seeded first overall. But in previous seasons they have looked impressive in the regular season,, but typical fall short in the playoffs! Also a good playoff run would be the perfect ending for Wild goalie, Devan Dubnyk who has had a career season! This one will be tight and I am prepared to be proven wrong, but right now I have to go with the Wild! Prediction: Wild Nashville Predators v Chicago Blackhawks  The Predators have had nothing short of an amazing season and although they have made the playoffs 7 times in the la...

Today it was announced that Martin Brodeur has finally called time on his 21 year career in the NHL after a short spell at St Louis Blues. To say he has had an extraordinary career would be putting things lightly! In 2009, he officially surpassed Patrick Roy to become the most winning goaltender in NHL history and finishes with a remarkable record 691 wins and 125 shutouts are most in NHL history. Brodeur was an integral part of the New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup triumphs in 1995, 2000 and 2003, and was also a part of two Canadian Olympic gold medal winning teams in Salt Lake City in 2002 and on home turf in Vancouver in 2010! Brodeur was the league leader in wins nine different times, shutouts over five times, and remarkably he led the league in games played six times, which included playing in 70 or more games in 10 consecutive seasons from 1997-98 to 2007-08. His great skills were also reflected in his 10 NHL All Star appearances, four Vezina Trophies, and not to mention winning t...

Today it was finally announced that the long standing issue of Martin Brodeur returning to the NHL has been resolved as he has signed a 1 year deal with the St Louis Blues after a successful tryout. After regular starter Brian Elliott was sidelined through injury, Brodeur has been signed to provide cover during this crisis. But after a less than successful final year at his old side New Jersey, does the most winning goaltender in NHL history still deserve a shot? On a sentimental level, I think it is great to see Marty still wanting to prove his worth at the top level rather than being forced into retirement. But sadly we have to look at the facts for this whole deal, firstly at 42 years old he is no spring chicken! Also his age caught up with him in dramatic fashion during a lackluster 2013-14 season as he recorded only 19 wins from 39 games with a GAA of 2.51- his worst since 2006! The season prior he had guide the Devils to an unexpected Stanley Cup Final appearance! But in 20...

Every player wants his shot at the cup.  It's been a few days since Ottawa Senators' Captain Jason Spezza asked to be traded , and it's since emerged that he's given the Sens a list of ten teams he doesn't want to go to. The actual list hasn't been released, but which teams should be queuing up their cheque books to sign Spezza? Given the fact that Jason has never won anything of note with the Sens, he's going to be looking for a team that's had recent success. So that pretty much rules out all but one of the Canadian teams: Montreal Canadiens The Habs might not have lifted the Stanley Cup since 1993 but if Spezza wants to stay north of the border then the NHL's winningest team are the best option. The real question is are the Habs interested in Spezza? There's no doubt that he's a quality center, guaranteed to bring home at least a point per game, but unless he's willing to settle for a place on the third or fourth line, th...

This weeks question deals with a long standing hockey playoff tradition that slowly beginning to become a burden on teams- the multiple overtime periods. "Is the overtime system used in the playoffs flawed? Playing repeated 20 minute periods until someone finds twine is tough on the skaters, not to mention the fans and TV schedulers. Should the NHL adopt the same system used during the regular season? Or is it time for something completely different?" Last night during the St Louis Blues 4-3 win over the reigning champions the Chicago Blackhawks - Alexander Steen scored the winner 26 seconds into a third overtime period! Incredible result for this fixture, but there's no denying that fans were kept waiting for too long for a winner this tie, regardless of this being playoff time. I've never fully understood the need for continuing periods, because this can affect a team in the long run because your skaters are overworked and more likely make errors or even ...

Eastern Conference  Detroit Red Wings  v Boston Bruins   This is one of the more difficult series to predict because both teams are of equal quality. The Red Wings hold a 3-1 regular season record against the Bruins, but it has been Boston who tops the Eastern conference and they have been showing this season just why they are contenders. I predict this one to be a tight one, but based on form alone, I have to give this one to the Bruins, sorry Mike! Prediction: Boston Bruins Tampa Bay Lightning v Montreal Canadiens Tampa Bay have been the one of this years real surprise packages, finishing 4th in the Eastern conference despite star Steven Stamkos being injured for a long period and currently holds a 3-1 record against Montreal. But the Canadiens are not a team that should be ruled out (unless Subban goes to the box) and I still think they could spring a surprise here. But overall, I think Tampa has just enough quality to see this one through. Prediction: Tam...

Today a long standing rumour was executed as after almost a year of speculation, the Buffalo Sabres have traded long time goaltender Ryan Miller along with captain Steve Ott to the St Louis Blues in exchange for fellow goalie Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart, young prospect William Carrier along with a first round draft pick at the 2015 draft. The 2010 Veniza trophy winner has been under fire the last couple of seasons as the Sabres' form has declined considerably to the point of being laughable (their standing at the bottom of the Western Conference clearly reflects this point). As one of the prime assets on the market and a Olympic Gold Medalist, Miller has been one of the most sought after players in this trade deadline. But in the press conference when the announcement was made, Miller was visibly upset at leaving his home of the last 11 years. He leaves behind an impressive legacy at the HSBC Arena with 284 wins from 540 games played with a GAA average of 2.60! He also beat ...

There was a sense of relief all around the Rogers Arena last night as the Vancouver Canucks beat the St Louis Blues 1-0 to end a seven game losing streak and to hopefully to kick start our failing play-off campaign! Jannik Hansen scored the games only goal after 11 minutes of the 3rd period to send the home fans into an overdue rapture. But it was young goalie Eddie Lack who was the true star and his 20 saves helped blank the free scoring St Louis offense and give Vancouver a priceless win! But the big question remains, has the damage already been done to their campaign? This could be the case this year as under John Tortorella, the Canucks have looked a shadow of their former selves and even the usually consistent Sedin twins haven't been hitting the high notes (Henrik especially) and this maybe one year where the play-offs desert us. However there is still a great deal of hockey to be played and if Detroit showed us anything last year, when all is lost- just go for broke an...

I know this piece will probably seem a bit hypocritical to some seeing as I basically slated the St Louis Blues during the off season and implied that they better not hold their breath waiting for the glory days to come! Well after last night's 6-0 thrashing of Edmonton, it seems this year could well be the year that hockey goes big in Missouri! So far the Blues firm has been nothing short of exceptional and currently they stand 4th overall in the Western Conference with only four points separating them from previous cup champs Los Angeles and Chicago! Last season brought a similar result and despite their best efforts, they were eliminated by the Kings in the playoffs first round. It seems head coach Ken Hitchcock has been firmly wracking his brains in the off season. His solutions to plugging the gaps seem to be working as the Blues have the third most goals in the Western Conference with 125 goals and have been led by the free scoring forward Alexander Steen with 38 points!...

Colorado Avalanche Without question the big surprise of the year and after an awful 2012/13 season where they finished bottom of the Western Conference and sacked Coach Joe Sacco, the Avs turned to former player Patrick Roy to breath new life into this franchise. Roy has done just that and currently Colorado top the Western Conference with a 13-2-0 recor byd! 1st overall pick Nathan MacKinnon has been a rookie sensation but Matt Duchene has been the more consistent scorer and currently has 19 points. This combined with the solid player of young captain Gabriel Landeskog has presented to us a franchise that can start to reclaim its glory years! But the scandal involving starting goalie Semyon Varlamov could prove crucial. St Louis Blues Previously on this blog we sneered at the St Louis Blues for their lack of squad depth - well it appears a heartfelt apology is in order as this season they look a changed team and currently stand fourth in the Western Conference. Their high scorin...

The St Louis Blues clinched a dramatic late 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at the Scottrade Center last night to continue the reigning champions indifferent start to the 2013/14 season. Vladimir Tarasenko put the Blues in front after 15 minutes when he scored a high shot past Corey Crawford, but Patrick Kane tied the scores at 1-1 only two minutes later. After 7 minutes of the second period Alex Pietrangelo's long shot deflected off Blues captain David Backes to put the home side 2-1 in front on a powerplay! But yet again the Blackhawks levelled the scores again when Jonathan Toews scored on their own powerplay to bring things to 2-2. But with only 21 seconds remaining in the third period, Alexander Steen seized on a 3 on 1 breakaway chance to slot the puck underneath Crawford and give the Blues the win! To see the celebrations erupt among the home fans, you would have thought this was the playoffs! Jaroslav Halak was to thank for keeping the champions out and his fi...

The St Louis Blues have signed forward Brenden Morrow to a one year deal worth $1.5 Million following his release for Pittsburgh at the end of last season. After a shaky half season with the Pens, Morrow will be keen to re-capture his form after a great 12 tenure at the Dallas Stars where he served as team captain. After losing David Perron,Morrow will add some key experience to the Blues offense as they seek a first ever Stanley Cup. Morrow finished last year with 25 points in 44 goals during his spilt season and currently his career total stands at 542 points in 850 regular season games and another 46 points in 92 playoff games.

My question this week once again turns to the city of St Louis as Mike poised this particular question to me:  “The St. Louis Blues are rebuilding their team, the big money signing of Bouwmeester and the extension of Pietrangelo show the team's commitment to its core group of players.T.J. Oshie and David Backes are great players but will the Blues need to shore up its group of forwards if they really want to challenge for the cup?”  Very good question Mike, so let’s go to work. In a city still reveling from the St Louis Cardinals victory in the 2011 World Series of Baseball, blues fans have had little to cheer about in recent years. Last year on paper appeared to be a success as the Blues finished Fourth in Western Conference and pushed the LA Kings all the way in their playoff quarter final and were only narrowly defeated in six games. St Louis now have a potentially great defensive pair after Calgary Flames’ financial problems forced them to trade Jay Bouwmeester las...

The St. Louis Blues ! There's been a lot of trades made this season, but Alex has challenged me to find the best off season trade this year. There's a lot of contenders to choose from, but one trade really stood out for me. After missing five of the last eight playoffs, the Blues have been steadily rebuilding. The main focus is on the blueliners, superstar Alex Pietrangelo has just been locked into a seven year contract and in April the team picked up Jay Bouwmeester from Calgary. The Blues are hedging their bets in Bouwmeester, paying him 2 million a year more than the high earning forwards T.J. Oshie and David Backes. The trade for Bouwmeester meant that the Blues gave up their first round draft pick as well as two of their prospects. A small price to pay for a guy who's played 635 consecutive games. Is this a step on the road to building a Stanley Cup winning team? Maybe. Time will tell.

St Louis Blues fans can breathe a sigh of relief as today defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has signed a brand new 7 year deal worth over $6.5 million per season. Having missed the start of training camp while negotiations were ongoing- Blues management are no doubt thankful to have wrapped this up with the season start so close! Pietrangelo led the Blues defense in scoring last year with 34 points in 47 games and also scored a goal and 1 assist during the playoffs. Since being drafted in 2008, he has racked up 29 goals and 121 points in over 224 games! Upon announcing this extension, Blues GM Doug Armstrong said "We're excited to have Alex in the fold for the next seven years as he will continue be a key component of our franchise."

With the new schedules come the new divisions, instead of being three divisions in each conference, there's now only two. With the changes will come new rivalries, which Alex will talk about later.  Let's start with the Western Conference. The Western has 14 teams while the Eastern currently has 16. This accommodates for the expansion in the west that the NHL has been looking for. Detroit and Columbus have moved over to the Eastern while Winnipeg makes the sensible move west.  Pacific Division Anaheim Ducks Calgary Flames Edmonton Oilers Los Angeles Kings Phoenix Coyotes San Jose Sharks Vancouver Canucks Dallas leaves the old Pacific Division, but three of the Canadian teams; Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary have joined it from the disbanded Northwest Division.  Central Division Chicago Blackhawks Colorado Avalanche Dallas Stars Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators St. Louis Blues Winnipeg Jets With Colom...

OK that's not strictly true, the Blues took home the Presidents' Trophy 13 years ago but of the original six and the expansion six, the Blues are the only team never to have lifted the Stanley Cup. Why is that? Alex's most recent question (one that he's had to remind me several times) is: "St. Louis are an established team but they are still without a cup, what can they do?" St. Louis hasn't made a cup final appearance since the 69/70 season but until recently, would rarely miss a post-season. So what can the boys from Missouri do differently if they want to pick up the trophy this season? The frustrating thing about being a Blues fan is the the team is pretty good. I'd guess. Getting to the playoffs would be a good start. Of the last 10 playoffs, the Blues appeared in five of them; reaching the conference semifinals and losing the the LA Kings in 11/12. After exhaustive research (wikipedia mostly); I reckon there's two things St. Louis ...

David Perron will be become another exciting addition to the new starting Edmonton Oilers franchise as it was announced today that he had been traded from the St Louis Blues in exchange for Magnus Paajarvi and a 2014 second round pick. This brings to an end a successful six year period for Perron who has impressed there since being draft 26th overall in 2007 and leaves behind stats of 198 points in over 340 games. Although after hitting the 50 point mark in 2009, his hockey career was halted by a severe concussion in the 2010-11 season that caused him to miss a number of games, but Perron has come back strongly initially but only registered 25 points in 48 games last season! But although it was widely believed that the Blues would win a Stanley Cup with their side getting ever impressive, this hasn't been delivered and at only 25, Perron is hungry for success and with Edmonton's young offensive line, this move could see his dreams come true finally!

There's a reason I follow most NHL teams on Facebook; the news and photos are always useful but the fan comments are pure gold. Anyway, the St. Louis Blues have re-signed defenseman Ian Cole to another 2 year contract. The 2007 draft first rounder spent some time with the Peoria Rivermen this season and clocked up a fair few points. Here's what the internet thinks, these are from the Blues' official page: "he's god awful" "took a  lot of penalties" "he is absolute s**t, a horrible move" "worthless defenceman that was overhyped" "Terrible move, worst defenseman ever" "un f**king believable!! He's horrible" "Trade him for what" - "a new washing machine at best" And the most optimistic of all: "trade Cole for Sidney Crosby" There's a lot more, none of which are positive. Looking at the performance of the Blues this season, the D Men...