While the Blues continue their death-spiral Road Trip From Hell, the organization continues making progress.

The latest step is getting hot goaltending prospect Ben Bishop under contract and in the nets for the Peoria Rivermen. For the moment, the former University of Maine star displaces Chris Beckford-Tseu – who heads back to the ECHL for the time being.

Bishop will play the rest of this season under an amateur tryout contract with the Rivermen. His NHL deal with the Blues will come this summer.

(For reasons related to the collective bargaining agreement and the free agency timetable, John Davidson would like to take the same approach with University of North Dakota forward T.J. Oshie.)

“I felt I was ready, accomplished everything I could at Maine,” Bishop told the Peoria Journal-Star. “The Blues felt I was ready. I know I’m going to be nervous when I get out there (tonight). But I’m excited to get some professional experience, and I want to get the ball rolling.”

Bishop, who grew up playing hockey here, brings freakish size (6-foot-7, 215 pounds according to his listing) and surprising agility to this challenge. He is also an aggressive puckhandler, which is not a strong suit of current Blues netminder Manny Legace.

“This has all happened so fast,” Bishop said. “I signed a contract on Tuesday, drove to Peoria on Wednesday, and now my first pro game (tonight). It all hasn’t really sunk in yet. But it’s a chance to be in the Blues’ organization, have a contract with my childhood team and start working toward a chance to play for them some day. It’s a dream come true.”

Beckford-Tseu still figures in the Blues’ goaltending plans, since Marek Schwarz has washed out during his second North American season.

AROUND THE RINKS: Getting Viktor Alexandrov out of Russia wouldn’t be easy, but the Blues ought to take another stab at it. The 22-year-old winger scored 20 goals and added 24 assists in 55 games in the Russian elite league this season. He finished seventh in the league in scoring and is one of the most highly skilled players at the age in the world . . . Nikolay Lemtyugov (back spasms) missed a game attended by John Davidson and Larry Pleau. The AHL rookie might be the most intriguing forward prospect left at Peoria . . . Oshie missed time with an undisclosed injury, but North Dakota hopes he will be at full strength for the NCAA Tournament.