There is less than one week until the hockey season is officially back. It seems like it was just last week that the St. Louis Blues were celebrating their first Stanley Cup Championship and they’ll start defending their title on Wednesday. Isn’t having a short offseason fun? Here is a guide to the must-watch games of the 2019-20 St Louis Blues season.
Must Watch Games For 2019-20 St Louis Blues
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
This is the most in-demand Blues game of the regular season. The defending Stanley Cup champions play the former defending Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals, in the Blues home opener. Usually, the home game against the Capitals are in high demand because Blues fans still love former Blue T.J. Oshie, but this year, something bigger than that is happening. Not only will it be a battle of former champions, but the Blues will raise their Stanley Cup champions banner in front of their fans and celebrate their championship run. It will be a night to remember for Blues fans.
Saturday, October 5, 2019
It’s a Western Conference Semifinals rematch between the Blues and the Dallas Stars. Is it possible for it to be as exciting as the last time they met? The Game 7 2OT goal by Pat Maroon is one of the best moments in Blues history. There’s no doubt that both teams have gotten more talent since then. Will the Blues come out victorious again or will Dallas get revenge on the Blues? The Stars are sure to be fired up as they will look for two points and some retribution. This should be a fiery game from both sides.
Monday, October 7, 2019
This is the first time Tyler Bozak will return to Toronto since he became a Stanley Cup champion. After the Blues signed Bozak last offseason, he said he signed in St. Louis because he wanted to win a Cup. Then, when the Blues did win, he called St. Louis the hockey capital of the world. Last year when he faced the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first time, he felt like he had something to prove to the team that let him sign somewhere else. This year, he’s already proved it. It only took him one season to prove to the Maple Leafs that he could win elsewhere. A little cherry on top for Bozak would be beating his former club in his former home.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
It’s a Stanley Cup Final rematch between the Blues and the Boston Bruins in Boston. The 2019-20 St Louis Blues will return to the place they hoisted their first Stanley Cup with nothing but fond memories of stealing the Bruins’ dream away from them. Former Blues captain David Backes didn’t play in Game 7 and has been working hard to earn his spot since. Injuries may complicate things but Backes and the Bruins will surely still be upset about losing to the Blues and will want to not only beat the Blues but be as rough as possible on them in the process. It is definitely a can’t miss game for either team’s fans. Just another one on the schedule that should be filled with passion.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
The biggest loss for the 2019-20 St Louis Blues this offseason was Maroon, who signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Maroon will face his former club in front of his hometown fans. He’ll get to see the Blues championship banner in person for the first time. There will no doubt be a video tribute to Big Rig, the hometown hero. Every Blues fan will want to be in attendance for this one. There won’t be many dry eyes in the house.
Saturday, December 21, 2019
The Blues and the San Jose Sharks play each other in San Jose in a rematch of the Western Conference Final. There is always bad blood between these two teams, but even more so after the Blues beat the Sharks in six games after the infamous hand pass that led to a goal was allowed. The Blues were able to come back and win the series after that, but many Sharks fans think the referees were more lenient on the Blues the rest of the series to try to make up for that.
The Sharks lost several players over the offseason, including former captain Joe Pavelski. The Blues, on the other hand, improved with the addition of Justin Faulk from the Carolina Hurricanes. It’s going to be a battle just like the Conference Final was. A pre-Christmas gift for the Blues would be beating the Sharks again.
Friday, December 27, 2019
In another playoff rematch, the Blues will face the Winnipeg Jets in Winnipeg for a rematch of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Winnipeg has dramatically changed since the teams last met in April. Power forward Patrik Laine has now reached a deal with the team and defenceman Dustin Byfuglien was granted a leave of absence from the team, among others. The Central Division is going to be tough this season, but the good news for the Blues is that at least one team didn’t seem to improve. This should hopefully be an easier win than the quarterfinals.
Tuesday, February 4, 2019
Last but not least, the Blues will face former defenseman Joel Edmundson and prospect Dominik Bokk against the Carolina Hurricanes in St. Louis. Edmundson spent four seasons as a member of the Blues. He was a huge part of making the Cup parade an interactive experience between the players and the fans. You could tell how much he loved St. Louis so this is sure to be an emotional return for him.
Faulk will face the bunch of jerks, his former team. He played in Carolina for eight seasons. Last year was the first year they went to the playoffs while he was there and he managed to make a big difference both offensively and defensively. Hopefully, by this time, Faulk will have found chemistry with his Blues teammates and will be ready to dominate his former club.
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