Jeremy Rutherford: I'm starting a little bit early today, as I may have to step away briefly to interview Andy Murray at the morning skate.

jgsfiles: JR,

Had a question after reading the article about Pietrangelo. What is the cutoff age between being able to play in Peoria and being sent back to juniors? I ask because it seems a little debatable on the forum if he is NHL ready. But that he wouldn't get much out of going back to juniors. Since he will turn 20 in January, if 20 is the cutoff, can the Blues keep him and then send him to Peoria then if they decide?

Thanks
Jerry

Jeremy Rutherford: The cutoff age is 20 and Pietrangelo is 19. There are some folks who believe that when Pietrangelo turns 20 in January, he can go to Peoria. From what I've been told, that is not true.

For example: He can't go back to Juniors tomorrow and then go to Peoria the day he turns 20. Likewise, the Blues could not hold onto him in St. Louis until he turns 20 and then send him straight to Peoria, bypassing juniors.

If the Blues decide to send him back to juniors, he can not go to Peoria until his junior season is completed.

Kris: Hi JR, I know it's early, but do you think there's a possibility of Patrik Berglund being traded this year? He appears to have underperformed late last season and early this season, and I wonder if the organization might give up on him.

Jeremy Rutherford:
I don't think there's a better chance that Berglund gets traded than any other young prospect in the organization. Berglund has struggled, but it's part of developing as a player. This is the way I look at it:

You can have a young player who is fairly consistent now and seems to be growing, and you can keep him for those reasons. And you can trade a player like Berglund now because he seems a bit inconsistent. But when it's all said and done, Berglund could easily turn out to be the better player. I think it's way too early to make definitive opinions about the future of a 21-year-old.

Russell: Blues Fan from Utah -

In light of Scott Hartnell biting Kris Latang last week, I have an idea for a halloween costume for you -

Get a Bozo the clown wig, add a Hannibal Lecter mask and a #19 Philadelphia Flyers jersey with straps sewn on like a straight jacket, and you get

"Hannibal Hartnell"

What do you think?

Jeremy Rutherford:

I was trying to decide between that and Rush Limbaugh.

Scott L: Hey JR,

Since we are in Phoenix tonight it doesn't hurt to ask this question....what is your personal opinion on the coyotes sale? Who do you think is going to win? NHL? or Balsillie who intends to move the franchise to Hamilton, ON?

Also if the team were to move to Hamilton, what kind of divisions could we see in the NHL?

Jeremy Rutherford: The scuttlebutt is that a group called Ice Edge Holdings could get back into the mix. That's a group that has been involved before, but they got out when the team went into bankruptcy. If the NHL gets control of the team, Ice Edge is a group that could purchase the Coyotes from the NHL.

Jeremy Rutherford:
I'm going to step away and interview Andy Murray now. I'll be back shortly.

JS5981: Hey JR,
I'm currently doing a college research paper about the pros/cons of fighting in the NHL and its "unwritten code". Being that I don't have the capabilities of landing an interview with Cam Janssen, DJ King, or Tony Twist I was wondering if you could recommend some reading material that could further help my research? Thanks and Go Blues!!!

Jeremy Rutherford: Actually, there was a book written a couple of years ago called "The Code," written by Ross Bernstein.

Ryan: JR, can you say why the coaches are replacing Pietrangelo with Strachan for tonight's game? Are they looking for more of a defensive presence or what?

Jeremy Rutherford:
The Blues are looking for the best chance to win tonight's game and they feel Strachan gives them a better chance than Pietrangelo. Strachan is a steady player who had a great camp. He didn't play much down the stretch last year, and I think people have forgotten what he brings.

Pietrangelo wasn't going to play nine straight games once he got in the lineup. This is part of the plan to give him a taste of it, and then let him get some practices under his belt. Pietrangelo played about 13 minutes the other night, and not much in the third period. Looking to end a two-game losing streak, the Blues can't go into this game with a player who they don't feel completely comfortable with in the third period.

Ryan: JR, I understand Perron made a mistake against LA not changing quick enough but IMO, he shouldn't have been on the point on the PP in the first place. I just seems needlessly risky to me to put forwards on the point on the PP. Perron would look a lot better on the half boards IMO. Is there a reason Murray isn't using Pietrangelo on the 2nd PP unit? That's pretty much the one area I think he'd be most useful in, would it not?

Jeremy Rutherford:
Perron played on the point last year and did OK, so I think that's why he's started on the second unit this year. I personally would rather seem him on the boards. He has some of the best puck skills on the team and those skills are better utilized around the net, not at the point. T.J. Oshie practiced in Perron's point spot on the power play this week in practice, but I'm not sure what Andy Murray will do tonight. The Blues are on the ice as we speak for their morning skate, so I will check and see who's manning the point on the second PP.

As far as Pietrangelo, he will obviously be a PP guy in his career, but it was his first game on Saturday. The Blues are trying to lessen the load on him.

Bryan S.: Does Petro stay or go when his trial is up? If he stays on the Blues, would/can they send him to the World Juniors? If so what happens to his roster spot while hes gone?

Jeremy Rutherford: It's still too early to tell, but here's something . . . Eric Brewer is on the trip. Brewer has told me that he's not close to play, but when a player goes on the road with a team, that's a sign that he's getting closer. Granted, Brewer needs the practice time with the team, and that's the likely answer as to why he's in Phoenix. But usually injured guys who aren't close stay back in St. Louis and workout on their own.

Mark: JR, in your opinion, what's with the slow starts? Why can't this team play a full 60 minutes? They seem to only turn it on late in the 3rd when they all of a sudden realize they're down by a couple with not much time left!

Jeremy Rutherford: The Blues haven't played smart early in games. Andy Murray just told the media a few minutes ago that he wants the team to be aggressive at the start tonight, but that doesn't mean run around and hit people just to be aggressive. He wants to see the team make good decisions and play within its structure.

steve s: Hi, With Andy Murray saying the blues are missing pieces of the puzzle other then the fans do you think he has created waves in the organization? JD and other have been preaching the fans as the last piece and he totally contracted that, do you think there will be retribution on Murray? thanks
steve

Jeremy Rutherford:
I'm sure that Murray's comments Wednesday created some waves. I didn't write the story, but I had a chance to talk to Murray about what he said.

Murray believes the marketing people are doing a fantastic job. But the fans aren't the missing piece. The fans sold out Scottrade Center 29 times last year, so the fans are there. The missing pieces are the players who aren't playing as well as they should. To me, Murray was putting the onus on his players, especially the younger ones, to play better.

sltest: Any notes from the guys playing for the Rivermen? It seems that a team that has Eller/Pushchal/Sonne should be putting up a few more goals? Is Reaves viewed as a possible sub for Bj Croombeen?

Jeremy Rutherford: From the reports I've heard, Eller and Palushaj are playing great. Eller is really taking the puck to the net. Sonne was a healthy scratch recently.

Steve: Is Mason going again? Or do we get to see Conklin who looked decent in Europe? If not today, when will we see Conks?

Jeremy Rutherford: Mason will be in net tonight. The Blues don't have back-to-back games on this road trip, so it doesn't appear there is a scheduled start for Conklin. But that's not to say he won't get in a game.

Jonathan: Do you think the "Kid Line" will eventually be one of the break out great lines in the NHL??

Jeremy Rutherford:
Wow, they seem to have the right mixture . . . a lot of skill with players who like to pass and shoot. But when they've been together, there hasn't been much production. They've told me that they like to play together and they believe there's some chemistry, but if they want to stay together, there's got to be some production.

Jonathan: The live chats with Mason and EJ were a lot of fun, do you know if there will be more of those with other players?
Not to say these live chats aren't great too JR :)

Jeremy Rutherford: You're killing me Jonathan . . . the Mason and Johnson chats were on stlblues.com, not stltoday.com.

But I know the web manager at stlblues.com (Chris Pinkert) and he does a great job with the chats. So I'll let it slide this time.

Jonathan: Hey JR thanks for all you do. Even posting a few morning skates in the dead of summer, those were the high points of my day.
My question is about the Blues third jersey.
Last year they had a schedule on the website of dates they would be worn on. I can't seem to figure out when they will be wearing them this year. Any help would be great.

Did they send you a new third with "JR" on the back?

Thanks JR

Jeremy Rutherford: The Blues will wear the third jersey for every Saturday home game and two Fridays in December.

djm448: I came home from work this morning, and was watching NHL On The Fly on the NHL Network....

During the highlights, they showed on the Kings/Rangers game a NYR 5-on-3 where there was a cluster in front of the net, and the whistle was blown. However, the Rangers were celebrating that they had scored. The goal was waved off immediately, but then was reviewed by video. The ref then announced (word for word): "Upon further review, the puck crossed the line prior to the whistle, it is a good goal."

Did I miss a new rule change or something? I thought the rule was still that the puck is dead the moment the ref in his mind starts the physical movement to blow the whistle, and no way to overturn the call on the ice. This has always been an "issue" of quick whistles with several Blues games and of course across the league... So how were the Rangers awarded a deak puck goal after video review?

Jeremy Rutherford: That's a good question. I did not see the goal, but I know that there has not been a rule change. I'll have to pose that question to Larry Pleau, who's on the trip in Phoenix.

EDIT: Pleau did not see the play, but he says the video replay can only say whether the puck went over the line or not. The ref makes the decision on when he blew his whistle. Obviously if the ref blew the whistle, there was intent to blow it, so this is a bit confusing.

forehandbackhandwaterbottle: Are we looking to far into the games this early in the season? We won back to back games to start, and lost back to back games. We're only four games in. Take a step back, relax and just play hockey. 1st line - 4th line (gold line to blue line...whatever) we're as good as it gets in the NHL.

On a side note, I would love nothing more than for Strachan to come in tonight and play shut down hockey and leave the Blues with no choice but to keep him here.

Jeremy Rutherford: I agree . . . much too early to get excited after starting 2-0 in Sweden, and much too early to get disappointed after losing two straight.

Remember that the Blues were in last place in February and made the playoffs. This is a long season.

Jeremy Rutherford: I will answer more questions soon, but I've got to slip in the locker room for some interviews.

Jeremy Rutherford: Sorry about the LONG delay . . .

Craig: Hi thanks for taking my question, your great as always:) anyways to my question now why is Cam Janssen not playing. Look at the teams W and L with him in and with him out. Now more than ever the team needs a jumpstart to get them going you see it when they score late in the game, they need Cams presents his hitting and fighting and everything he brings. We know there are players who need to sit a game or two, the only reason i would see is that the blues know they have alot of stock and want to see who they can do with out and see what they can get in a trade, I just know if Cams in I really think they have a better chance of getting the W so I want him in. What do you think?

Jeremy Rutherford: I like Cam Janssen and what he brings to the table as a player. He brings energy to the Blues. Opponents are on notice when he's on the ice. But we all knew going into the season that he's not going to play every night. He played 56 games last year, but that was when D.J. King was out for the season. So Janssen may not see 56 games this year, but my guess is that he'll be more of a regular than he's been lately.

John: Thanks for taking the questions today. My question deal with Petro. Are the only two choices the Blue have is to play him the nine games and then either keep him here or send him back to Juniors? Or are they allowed to send him to the minors after he goes past the 9 games? It just seems he will get more experience in the minors then juniors or playing only every four games or so.

Thanks
John

Jeremy Rutherford: The Blues can send him back to juniors after he plays in 20 NHL games. But they wouldn't be wise to do that because it will count as a year towards holding his rights. Teams hold a player's rights for seven years and you don't want to start that clock until you're ready. If Pietrangelo plays in 10 NHL games this season, the Blues may as well keep him here, because the clock will have started.

sltest: Slow starts, poor power play, a staple of the last few games, uncharecteristic of the second half of 2008/09, but common in 2007/2008. Any thoughts one this being some sort of reversion to the mean or a temporary blip. I believe Murray coached teams have not traditionally has strong PP units.

Jeremy Rutherford:
For now, I'll say that the slow starts are a blip. It has been a problem in the past for the Blues, but not to the point where you could say it was the reputation of an Andy-Murray coached team. I've ready where a few other NHL teams are getting out to slow starts. It's just part of the game.

The power play was 4-9 in the first two games and 0-5 in the last two, so it's played a role in the wins and losses. But over the course of a year, the PP was 8th in the league last year. Murray's teams prior to last year struggled on the PP, but with the success last year and the success in the first two games this year, I don't think we can say the PP in St. Louis is a negative.

Mark: JR, Do you find it entertaining or sad and how some fans react to Murray keeping the kids in line? I mean, sometimes I think the fans get more mad or offended regarding Murray's treatment of Perron and Berglund than Perron and Berglund do themselves! Would you say that's true? I mean, they're young guys but they're professionals and know that they have to perform at a high level to keep their spot in the lineup or keep their spot on the PP. If they don't, work harder, don't cry about it and if you do what you need to do, soon enough you'll find yourself back where you want to be. It's as simple as that. I just think a lot of fans WAY overreact sometimes. Would you agree?

Jeremy Rutherford: Overall I would agree with you, but I know that some of the young kids have gotten upset with Murray over his handling of them. For the most part, they'll tell you that they are better for being disciplined, but they don't feel that way all the time.

But yes, I do think fans overreact.

Christopher: JR, why do you think so many teams go into these funks after playing overseas? Is the benefit the NHL gets out of this really worth the money, grind, and time that could be spent playing a real home game? Is their that much exposure? Or are they worried that the European players will start jumping ship to the KHL? LETS GO BLUES!!!!

Jeremy Rutherford: There's no way that I can quantify the value of the NHL's exposure in Europe. Yes, teams have struggled when they return from Europe. But that's not the case of every team, so I don't think it's fair to make a blanket statement. Look at Chicago this year: the Hawks are 4-1-1 since playing in Finland.

Here are the numbers that my colleague at the Post, Tom Timmermann, researched. It's the teams that have gone overseas each year and how they fared when they came back.

2008:
Rangers 3-0
Lightning 0-3 (2 losses in OT)
Senators 1-5
Penguins 1-2 (with a win and a loss in overtime)

2007
Ducks 0-3 (all on the road)
Kings 0-4

1998
Flames 0-3
Sharks 0-5-1

1997
Canucks 1-2-2 (then a win, then 10 straight losses)
Ducks 0-1-2

rjbettger: Hey JR,

Any idea what Marek Schwarz is up to now?

What's your take on the first couple weeks of the hockey season? Boston and Detroit have gotten off to slow starts, while Phoenix and Colorado seem to be doing well early on. The hockey world seems upside down at the moment.

What's the word on Jackman? The papers have been saying he might be back with the team for Anaheim or Pittsburgh, but we remember how long Oshie was out with a sprain last year. Is it not that bad or is he trying to be a warrior this early in the season?

Thanks!

Jeremy Rutherford:
Marek Schwarz, to my knowledge, is still playing in Europe.

The NHL standings appear to be upside down right now. Colorado and Phoenix may be better, but we won't know until after a couple of months. Detroit isn't the team it used to be, but they won't be at the bottom of the standings for long.

Jackman has an ordinary ankle sprain. Oshie's was the dreaded high-ankle sprain. Jackman told me that there's a chance he could join the team on the road in Anaheim or Pittsburgh, but that's not set in stone. He was scheduled to skate today in St. Louis.

forehandbackhandwaterbottle: If Brewer returns, and the defense remains healthy, what are the chances that Mike Weaver and Darryl Sydor are both on this team in March? One of them would have to go right? Unless Polak continues to play as he has...Then they can stay.

Jeremy Rutherford:
If Brewer returns and the Blues are healthy (which is hardly guaranteed), the team will have a decision to make. Even if they decide to send Pietrangelo back to juniors, you still have eight defensemen. I suppose Strachan, who is on a two-way contract, could play in Peoria, but that still leaves seven.

Johnson, Sydor, Colaiacovo, Weaver, Polak, Jackman and Brewer.

I don't know that I'd limit it to Weaver and Sydor, but one of those seven would be a healthy scratch, and it's not likely to be Johnson, Jackman or Brewer.

Jarmo Rules: JR,

This is how I feel about the blues right now, :( Any stats on the Blues that will cheer me up?

Thanks for your time.

Jeremy Rutherford:
I have a stat on Phoenix that might cheer you up.

Although the Coyotes are 3-2, they've scored just one goal in their last three games:

2-1 loss to Buffalo
2-0 loss to Columbus
1-0 shootout win over San Jose.

Tim: Who's in net tonight?

Jeremy Rutherford: Mason

lahti: Any news on the Directv and Versus front?

Jeremy Rutherford: No settlement in sight, as far as I know.

Zac: JR,
Do you think that jet lag had anything to do with the Blues playing sluggish last week? I was at both home games, and they did not play with near the intensity as they did against the Red Wings. I realize that it is hard to keep up that level of intensity night in and out, but they all looked tired for some reason.

Jeremy Rutherford: There could have been some of that involved in the two home games, but I would say that had a very minimal effect.

baddawwg69: Hello JR,

Much is being made of Petro and rightly so. With Brew skating again and making progress, it's looking like he'll make it back. Brew>Petro at this point in their careers. Strachan and Junland are both playing well in Peoria and are available for call-ups. We don't really know how the organization ranks them against Petro regarding being NHL ready. There is essentially no flexibility with Petro. Junland may offer similar skills to Petro and could sub for an offensive defenseman. Assuming he's mature enough to understand it my thinking goes like this: Keep Petro around until Brew comes back. Practice with the team is still beneficial. Play him sporadically to give him his 9 games. Send him to the World Junior Championships for another taste of high level competition.

He really handcuffs the Blues if he stays and if there is any doubt about his ability, they should return him. Strachan and Junland give them depth. You also have to look at cap implications. Sending him back gives the Blues his rights another year. All that said, if he makes you a better team, you have to keep him. I still not convinced at this point he makes you better so why give up a year of rights to keep him?

Jeremy Rutherford:
Those are all things that the Blues must consider when making a decision on Pietrangelo.

Jonathan: My bad JR, no disrespect for StlToday.com. Its my homepage. Sorry for the flub on my part.

Jeremy Rutherford: No problem, Jonathan . . . I was just having fun.

forgetfulfever98: Do you think Chris Mason has been building off of his great performance last year and do you think he can continue that throughout the season?

And what do you think about Ty Conklin's performance in Sweden? I felt he started off a little slow, but once he got his nerves checked he played very strongly.

Jeremy Rutherford: It seems too early to get a read on Mason. He obviously made some great saves in Sweden. I wouldn't say that he's play bad in the last two games because the team's play in front of him has left something to be desired. I think now we'll start getting a feel for whether Mason can duplicate what he did last season.

Xavier: what will be the lines for tonight's game ??

will the first powerplay unit stay intact ? i know they had some difficulties in the last two games but i think this powerplay is very dangerous with johnson and kariya at the point, i like it a lot


heres are my suggestion of lines combinations, tell me what you think?


kariya-mcdonald-boyes (our 3 best players)
perron-berglund-oshie (kid line show they have some chemestry)
winchester-tkachuk-backes (could be a strong and good line ithink)
steen-mcclement-crombeen (the best line of the blues since the beginning)

Jeremy Rutherford: Tonight's lines:

McDonald-Backes-Boyes
Winchester-Tkachuk-Kariya
Perron-Berglund-Oshie
Steen-McClement-Crombeen

The power play is 0 for its last 8, but yes the No. 1 unit is expected to stay intact: Johnson, Kariya, Boyes, Tkachuk, McDonald.

Your line suggestions look good to me.

chuckk011: JR, not a question but you left out Kariya when you posted lines for tonight!

Jeremy Rutherford: Gosh, I always seem to do that . . . Kariya should be with Tkachuk and Winchester.

iowa blues fan: Who decides who gets called up from peoria when a player is needed?

Jeremy Rutherford:
JD and Larry Pleau.

Andy Murray will talk to Peoria coach Davis Payne about who's playing well, but ultimately the decision belongs to management.

djm448: Just found this... Here is video on the Kings/Rangers dead puck goal... Clip starts at 2:41.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4UuQiLjMp0

Jeremy Rutherford:
Thanks djm . . .

Now people can see what we were talking about earlier. I'll watch it when I'm finished with the chat.

mooseman: Do you know why the game will not be on Dish Network tonight?

Jeremy Rutherford:
Mooseman is referring to a note that I just posted on Twitter. I'm hearing that Dish Network customers won't see the game tonight. I don't have the specifics just yet, but it appears to be squabble between Dish and FS Midwest.

LA Blue: Any word on Jackman's ankle? In my experience ankle injuries can get really drawn out.

It sounds like within a week or so we could possibly see Brewer returning, along with DJ King coming back from Peoria. If you had to guess, what happens next?

Matt

Jeremy Rutherford: Jackman should be back soon. Brewer is on the road trip, but I have received no word that indicates he'll be playing anytime this month.

King has about a week left on his two-week conditioning stint. He is currently occupying a roster spot, so the Blues won't have to send anyone to Peoria when he returns. They will when Brewer returns, but let's cross that bridge when we get to it.

Steven: JR, what do the Blues need to do to improve 5 on 5? They seem to be reliant upon the PP more than most teams.

Jeremy Rutherford: Get the puck out of the defensive zone quickly and have better entries into the offensive zone. I know that sounds fundamental, but it really is true.

Jeremy Rutherford: Thanks for bearing with me today. I am going to write a Morning Skate report in a few minutes and get that posted soon.