Blues look to avoid recent trend on road - STLtoday.com

MONTREAL - The Blues have noted a common theme in their recent road games and it's an area they plan to focus on tonight against the Canadiens.

The Blues have lost three of their last four road games, and each time the home team struck in bunches.

"We've played awful well on the road and had a little bit of a glitch and burped a few times and let in goals quickly," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "For us, just keeping going. We can put a lot of pressure on people if we're forechecking. We've just got to stay with it a little bit longer."

Dec. 31, 3-0 loss at Detroit

- The Red Wings broke open a scoreless game in the second period with goals 77 seconds apart.

Dec. 27, 3-2 loss at Detroit

- The Red Wings rallied from a 2-1 deficit with goals 56 seconds apart in the third period.

Dec. 21, 3-2 loss at Colorado

- The Avalanche broke open a scoreless game and grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals 1:21 apart.

Another trend in recent road games has been the performance of the opposing goaltender. In their last three road losses, the Blues have scored only four goals on a combined 101 shots. The team had trouble cracking Detroit's Jimmy Howard in two of those games and Colorado's Jean-Sebastien Giguere in the other.

"We can't allow the other team's goalie to frustrate us like we've done the last couple of road games," Hitchcock said. "For us, it's all about staying with it. If we put pressure on people, we can make any team's defense cough up the puck and that's our goal."

Added David Perron: "Shoot the puck and bear down on our chances. There's a few chances recently, when we look at clips, we could put it in if we really bear down. Not that you take it casual, but you think you're going to have it easier than you did. The goalie comes out and pulls the glove at the last second and makes a save. There's some really good goalies in this league and we have to bear down on our chances."

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TONIGHT'S LINEUP

Forwards

David Perron-David Backes-Chris Stewart

Matt D'Agostini-Patrik Berglund-T.J. Oshie

Vladimir Sobotka-Jason Arnott-Jamie Langenbrunner

B.J. Crombeen-Scott Nichol-Ryan Reaves

Defensemen

Barret Jackman-Kevin Shattenkirk

Carlo Colaiacovo-Alex Pietrangelo

Ian Cole-Roman Polak

Goalie

Jaroslav Halak

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COLE RETURNS

Defensive Ian Cole will be back in the Blues' lineup tonight after serving a three-game suspension for his hit on Detroit's Justin Abdelkader.

Due to being a healthy scratch and the suspension, Cole has played in only three of the Blues' last 15 games. 

"The extended absences I've had from playing haven't been ideal," Cole said. "It doesn't make for a nice, consistent feel for the game. I'm sure it'll be pretty easy to get back into it when you're so excited to play."

The NHL has said it hopes to change players' mindsets on the ice with the suspensions. But Cole doesn't see that has being an issue with him.

"I think that to change the mindset of somebody, they would have first had a mindset that was malicious," he said. "By no means did I have a mindset where I was going to knock Abdelkader's head off. To change my mindset, I'd have to have that intent, and I didn't have it at all. I'm just going to try to not let it affect me, how I play my game. Like the coaches told me, I don't want to shy away from hits now."

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REAVES EXTENSION

Ryan Reaves inked a two-year contract extension with the Blues Monday. It's a one-way deal that will pay the forward $600,000 per season.

"It's good that they have the confidence to give me two years, for sure," Reaves said. "Two years one way, is phenomenal for me. Giving me that contract shows me they have confidence in my game and gives me extra confidence that I can play my game and they'll be happy with it."

Reaves played his first game Saturday since missing five games with a hip injury. He had 8:08 of ice time against Colorado on a night when he served a 10-game misconduct.

"I felt (the injury) a little bit after the game, a little bit the next day," Reaves said. "It's going to be nagging for a while, but nothing that's hindering me." 

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ODDS & ENDS

- David Perron, a native of nearby Sherbrooke, Quebec, has purchased 60 tickets for tonight's game. "I'm paying to play tonight," Perron joked.

- Alex Pietrangelo has recorded two points in each of his last three games (1 goal, 5 assists).

- Andy McDonald (concussion) did travel with the Blues to Montreal, a sign that his return could be sooner than later.