The Blues have an opportunity, in the next few days, to cleanup their record at Scottrade Center as well as their mark against the Eastern Conference. Rookie goal-scorer John Tavares, the top-overall pick this June, and the New York Islanders are in Saturday evening for a 7:00 first drop of the puck. The Boston Bruins arrive on the scene next Monday for another 7:00 tilt.

The Blues are 1-3-2 against the east this season following a win over Carolina and losses to Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Florida, Philadelphia and Atlanta again.

Tavares leads all rookies in scoring, totalling nine goals and 10 assists in 21 games and has an even plus-minus rating. Four of his nine tallies have been on the power play.

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The Blues continue a six-game homestand tonight against a Phoenix team that has already beat them twice this season. Opening puckdrop is 7:00 as Andy Murray's team tries to even its record to 2-2 on the current stint at home.

The Coyotes beat the Blues 3-2 in Phoenix back on october 15th before shutting them out at Scottrade Center, 2-0, on October 29th. Starting netminder Ilya Bryzgalov was in goal for both Coyote victories but may give way to backup Jason Labarbera. Bryzgalov backstopped a 3-2 win last night in Minnesota.

The Blues' two goals in the series opener came from Paul Kariya and David Backes...two forwards that need to bust out of droughts to get their team back on track. Kariya hasn't scored a goal in 11 games and has gone pointless in his last 10. Backes hasn't found the back of the net in 13 games and only has one assist in his last 12.

Backes and Kariya aren't the only Blues overdue for offensive production. Keith Tkachuk has gone seven games without a point and twice as many without a goal. Patrik Berglund, expected to play on the "Stopper" line tonight with Jay McClement and B-J Crombeen, has now gone 12 games without a goal and eight tilts without a point.

The Blues 41 goals this season is the lowest for any NHL club this season. Their power play got more chances Saturday night but went 0-for-6 and the unit is now ranked 27th in the league. The penalty killing, however, has gotten closer to where it was last season and is currently ranked sixth after finishing third in '08-'09.

Don't blame the Blues goaltending for their 6-8-4 start. Their combined 2.51 goals-against-average is the 8th lowest in the NHL. The Blues have scored two or fewer goals in 12 of their first 18 games this season.

Defensively rookie Alex Pietrangelo will play his ninth game of the season this evening. The note afterwards can still send him back to juniors for the remainder of the year but not once he plays his 10th. Fellow blueliners Darryl Sydor and Mike Weaver will be scratched.

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The Blues will try, try again tomorrow night when hosting Phoenix at Scottrade Center in a 7:00 start. The two teams will be meeting in the third-of-four scheduled meetings this season. The Coyotes have prevailed on both occassions in the first two matchups, winning at home 3-2 in overtime last month before leaving town with a 2-0 shutout victory in the rematch.

New Coyotes coach Dave Tippet guided his team to a win and two losses on a recent three-game homestand. Tonight the Coyotes begin a road trip in St. Paul against the Minnesota Wild. Netminder Ilya Bryzgalov has a save percentage of .921 and is still standing tall in nets for Phoenix.

The Blues will be continuing a six-game homestand that began with a 6-1 win over Vancouver before back-to-back 3-1 losses to Nashville and San Jose. Following tomorrow night's contest the New York Islanders come in on Saturday before the Boston Bruins arrive on the scene for a rare Monday night tussle at Scottrade Center.

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Brendan Shanahan has retired from the National Hockey League today following a career spanning 21 seasons, according to TSN in Canada. Shanahan totaled 656 goals and 698 assists in a run that included three Stanley Cup wins with Detroit in 1997, 1998 and 2002. He played four seasons in St. Louis before being dealt to Hartford for defenseman Chris Pronger in July of 1995.

Shanahan should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer as his numbers are extremely comparable to recent inductee, fellow winger and former teammate Luc Robitaille. Shanahan netted 656 goals and helped on 698 others totaling 1,354 points in 1,524 games over 21 seasons. Robitiaille scored 668 goals and 726 assists for 1,394 points in 1,431 career NHL games. It won't hurt Shanny, either, that he won three Stanley Cups to Robitailles' one (the two actually won the Cup together playing for Detroit in 2002).

Shanahan's most prolific goal-scoring seasons were in "The Gateway City" as the eight-time All-Star pumped in 52 during the 1993-'94 season after potting 51 during the 1992-'93 campaign.

Shanny was the second overall pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft as New Jersey's first selection. Buffalo took another former Blue, Pierre Turgeon, first overall that year.

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The Blues are idle until Thursday night when they resume a six-game stint at home against Phoenix. Opening puckdrop is slated for 7:00. Andy Murray's team has lost a league-high seven games in regulation at home this season (Anaheim and Toronto have lost six in regulation at home).

The Note have a win and two losses thus far in the current homestand. The Blues beat Vancouver 6-1 before falling to Nashville and San Jose by matching 3-1 scores. Murray's club is still a mixed bag when it comes to special teams. The penalty kill is ranked sixth in the NHL and had nullified 18 straight power plays before allowing a goal to Dany Heatley on Saturday. The man-advantage, however, continues to dwell in the bottom of the league rankings and is 26th after going 0-for-6 against the Sharks. The shots are coming but the goals still aren't.

Following the Coyotes' appearance this week, the Blues will host recent top-overall pick John Tavares and the New York Islanders on Saturday. The Boston Bruins come to town for a test next Monday night in the finale. Tavares leads the Isles in scoring having netted eight while helping on 10 others in 20 games while registering a minus-one rating.

No word on the status of forward David Backes who suffered an upper-body inury in Saturday night's loss. The Blues held an off-ice workout earlier this morning at The Mills in Hazlewood.

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