Blues feel like they can compete with the best

[The General]

The Blues' opponent on Tuesday night did take “Mighty” off the front of its sweater, but they’re still the Anaheim Ducks.

And at last check, the Ducks led the league with 68 points. But apparently Anaheim — like Buffalo and New Jersey before it — is just another team on the Blues’ schedule.

Among the many points the Blues proved Tuesday is that the club is now going into each game with the idea that it belongs on the ice with anyone. The Blues are 3-1-3 against four of the top six teams in the NHL standings under new coach Andy Murray, including wins over No. 1 Anaheim, No. 3 Buffalo and No. 6 New Jersey.

Thursday night, they’ll face the last-place team in the Western Conference standings, the Los Angeles Kings, at 9:35 p.m. at Staples Center.

“We just look at the next opponent,” forward Radek Dvorak said. “If it’s Anaheim, if it’s Buffalo, if it’s Phoenix, whoever is next, we’re just focusing on that game. Whoever we’re playing against, just go and win the game.”

The Blues currently are nine points out of a playoff spot in the West, but though they are 10-4-4 since Murray took over on Dec. 12, they would need to win 23 of their last 36 games — or a .639 winning percentage — to likely keep pace for a postseason berth.

Growing a bit weary of the playoff question with three months remaining in the season, Murray was asked instead Wednesday if the Blues are playing the best hockey in the West.

“Ooh, that’s pretty tough to say when you’re 26th (in the league),” he said. “Put it this way: We know we can play the best in the West.”

Ask the Blues about how well they’ve played against the NHL’s top teams, and they’ll tell you that being in 12th place in the Western Conference, a lot of their victories are going to be considered good wins.

“We all know who we’re playing, and we’ve played some real good teams lately,” captain Dallas Drake said, “but we’re more looking at the teams ahead of us in the standings more than anything else.”

Murray also has been key in this approach, prepping the Blues vigorously for each game, but not concentrating too much on the opponent.

Also evident in the Blues’ resurgence is that the team is treating road and home games identically under Murray. With Tuesday’s win in Anaheim, the club improved to 4-2-3 on the road under Murray. A victory tonight would give the Blues’ nine road wins this season, matching their total from 2005-06, with 18 road games still to play.

“The way that we’ve gone in those games, and played well against good teams, that makes you feel good about yourselves,” Drake said. “Sometimes going on the road is good for teams . . . there’s not as much pressure. I think when we get on the road, we just keep it simple and rely on everybody to do what they do well.”

The Blues have scored 16 goals in their past three games after scoring 103 goals through 43 games; that’s 13.4 percent of their offense this season in 180 minutes. They’ve also received outstanding goaltending, picking up a solid performance from Curtis Sanford in his return to the lineup Tuesday.

STLtoday - Sports - Blues

[The General]

I have been a semi Blues fan for years. Just one team that I came across and fell for.