THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: The Blues kick off their season at 2 p.m. today against the Red Wings. Hockey in St. Louis finally has arrived again. Who or what most intrigues you about the 2009-10 St. Louis Blues?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
What intrigues me is whether the Blues will be able to stay healthy. Because if they stay healthy, they have a shot to be pretty good. Not only have the Blues suffered a number of injuries the past few seasons, but the injuries seem to happen to their best players. I realize that 20 guys aren’t going to play 82 games each. But the Blues can’t have a situation like last year when Paul Kariya played 11 games, Andy McDonald (46), T.J. Oshie (57), Eric Brewer (28) and D.J. King (1).

BERNIE MIKLASZ
I want to see how much Paul Kariya has left, and whether he’s still an elite offensive player. I want to see how quickly Erik Johnson emerges as the new Scott Stevens. I want to see if Chris Mason was for real. I want to see if David Perron can convert his enormous talent into 30 goals. I want to see if Alex Pietrangelo has the toughness to play in the NHL. I want to see how an ascending team handles the pressure of expectations. The Blues aren’t the scrappy little underdog anymore. They’ll be counted on to get to the playoffs and win a series and that’s a big change from the past few years.

JEFF GORDON
There are a lot of good stories on the Note, but T.J. Oshie is a real catalyst. He scores, he passes, he hits, he stirs it up. Had the Blues had him all last season, they wouldn’t have been half-dead at the holidays. A lot of national experts overlooking the Blues don’t know how good this kid can be.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
I’m most curious about the big picture. Can this team advance in the playoffs facing the likes of San Jose, Detroit, Vancouver, Chicago, etc. in the 1st round? That’s what I’m focusing on. I’d be shocked if this team isn’t in the playoffs but once there, what will they do? A lot of that, of course, will depend on what they do throughout the course of the season. If they’re reasonably healthy all season long they will be a dangerous team regardless of the opponent and if the young guys continue their rapid improvement they could make a run in the playoffs. None of that will be known, however, until the end of the regular season.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
Can they continue where they left off last spring? Having expectations to win hockey games is new territory for the St. Louis Blues. This will be really interesting to follow this season. No longer can the Blues rest on the idea that they’re in rebuilding mode. People around the NHL are expecting the Blues to not only reach the playoffs but believe they have potential to make a little noise once they arrive. John Davidson recently told me the goal this season is to have home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. In order for this to happen the Blues need consistency in their game from day one. Are the Blues, as an organization, prepared to handle the pressure to win? It’s fair to say they’re slightly ahead of schedule from where they expected to be when Dave Checketts and company took over in 2006. There will be more attention on this hockey club to begin the season than we’ve seen in years. Thanks to the dismal performances football fans are growing accustomed to watching on Sundays, more and more eyes are focused on Andy Murray and his team this fall.

Managing adversity is critical for any team in any year and there will be times when things don’t go in the Blues favor. How they respond when things get tough will tell us whether or not this club is prepared to take a step forward. The Blues have a real chance to even more solidify themselves once again in the sports community and there is little reason to believe they won’t take advantage.

I’m also very intrigued to see if this will, in fact, be Keith Tkachuk’s last season in the NHL. The guy can still score goals and if he snipes 20-25 I can easily see the Blues extending “Big Walt” for another year. Will he accept? It’s never easy to walk away.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Fans seemingly are always debating who’s the Blues better brawler — D.J. King or Cam Janssen? What are the differences in style and impact these guys bring to the ice for the Blues?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
D.J. King and Cam Janssen are both enforcers, but they’re completely different on the ice. King (6-3, 228) is considered a bigger heavyweight in the NHL, while Janssen (6-0, 210) is seen as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the league. Both can put an opponent on the ice with one punch. King might be able to land the haymaker, which could come from the left or right side, but Janssen can deliver a series of blows that can accumulate quickly.

But when they’re not brawling, that’s when they are even more different as players. King is the better puck protector, holding it in the corner and keeping it away from the opponent. He’s not an offensive threat by any means, but he can handle his own. Janssen, while not as good with the puck, is better than King at sizing up opponents on the boards and delivering bone-crushing hits. That’s a very key part to Janssen’s game. As feared a fighter as King is, the Blues wish he were as physical during the play as Janssen.

But that’s what makes the game entertaining. Every player brings something different.

JEFF GORDON
King is a true heavyweight, capable of taking on the biggest and toughest enforcers in the NHL. Janssen can fight almost anybody, but he isn’t a Tony Twist-like deterrent. But he skates well enough to make big hits and agitate the other side. Janssen has more game-to-game value on the fourth line, stirring things up. And he can certainly handle himself. He embraces his role with some flair and helps fuel the Blues’ home-ice advantage.

DAN O’NEILL
D.J. King is 20 pounds heavier and three inches taller than Cam Janssen, so that presents some obvious differences. In most of his fights, King is the physical equal of his opponent, if not superior. Janssen is often fighting someone bigger. His fights are usually marathons, not sprints. And he often overwhelms the opponenent with the number of punches he throws. It would be interesting to see both guys fight a common opponent — and I’m thinking Kanye West might be a wonderful study subject.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
What these guys do is give the Blues a “nuclear deterrent,” a form of protection for the skill players. You could also say they provide a shot of adrenaline at times when the team appears to be dragging a bit. Cam and D.J. also understand that what they do needs to fit into the structure of the game on any given night. As for the difference in style, it’s as different as their off-ice personalities. D.J. is soft spoken, a bit reserved and when he fights he works calmly to set up one or two big blows. Cam is outgoing, energetic and fights like his hair is on fire. What they’re both working on is improving the other aspects of their games, per Andy Murray’s wishes, so that they’re more than just brawlers and can serve as important physical forces outside of their fights.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
The immediate difference one sees between D.J. King and Cam Janssen is the size. King stands about 6-3, 230 while Janssen weighs in much smaller at about 6-foot and about 205. King is also a true NHL heavyweight, Janssen is not. Janssen may not be a heavy but he’s proven he’s willing to go the heavies anytime. Their styles are pretty different on the ice. Janssen is one of the more effective pests in the league. He irritates the opposition by getting under the skin of opposing players and more often than not can have an impact on a game without dropping the gloves. Players around the league know King is extremely tough and can throw with anybody but he doesn’t play the same physical, aggressive style you see Janssen bring to the ice.

You can argue King is better with the puck than Janssen and is pretty good at controlling the puck along the wall, especially below the goal line in the offensive zone. The Blues would like to see King have more of a presence on the ice and play a more tenacious, in-your-face style. There are ways to play tough without dropping the gloves and King could throw his body around a little more than what we’ve seen in his short time in the NHL.

Opposing D-men know when Janssen is on the ice. He’s a tremendous north and south skater and uses his speed to deliver some serious bone-crushing hits nearly every time he touches the ice. King may be considered the better fighter but Jannsen undoubtedly plays tougher. Janssen plays an even bigger role on home ice with his ability to get the crowd into the game. He’s also one of the more popular players among his teammates and the fans. I wrote last year the Blues record when Janssen dresses is incredibly impressive.