From: jca2@cec1.wustl.edu (Joseph Charles Achkar)
Subject: Blues win season opener 6-4
Keywords: Blues, North Stars, Hull 
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis MO
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 06:32:02 GMT



   The St. Louis Blues started their season under new coach Bob Plager with
a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota North Stars.  The Blues scored the first
goal of the game at 10:50 of the first period when Rich Sutter picked up     
the puck in his own zone and carried it up the ice on right wing to setup 
Dave Lowry with a perfect centering pass.              
After some good forechecking by Bob Bassen and Rich Sutter, Butcher picks 
up the puck at the right point and shoots it, Minnesota goalie Wakaluk
makes the save but Lowry picks up the rebound and scores his second goal
of the game to give the Blues a 2-0 lead at 14:52 of the first period.
The North Stars reduce the score to 2-1 on a delayed penalty call. Modano
picked up the puck in the left corner and passed it to Neal Broten who 
one-timed it past Joseph. The Stars outshot the Blues 15-11 in the period.

   The Blues started the second period with some good pressure all over 
the ice, as a result Paul Cavallini gets the puck at the Minnesota
blue line and shoots it on the goal post Craig Janney gets the rebound
from mid-air and passes the puck to Brendan Shanahan who was breaking to
the net to score and give the Blues a 3-1 lead at 2:26 of the period.
On a Blues power-play, Janney passes the puck along the boards to Shanahan 
who sends Hull on a breakaway to make it 4-1 at 6:29. Mark Tinordi reduces
the score to 4-2 when he scores on the rebound of Mike Modano's shot from
right point at 13:06.  20 seconds later, Shanahan shoots the puck down the
ice and Janney steals it from Wakaluk behind the Minnesota goal and passes
to Emerson who scores into the open net for a 5-2 lead. A minute after that
goal, Igor Korolev makes a nice play to Philippe Bozon at left point and
Bozon passes the across the ice to Brett Hull who scores his second of the
game for a 6-2 lead.  

   At 5:43 of the third period, Craig Janney picks up an interference penalty
and Ulf Dahlen who was screening Joseph deflects Modin's shot in goal to cut
the Blues lead to 6-3.
In the final minute of the game, Curt Giles' giveaway pass is anticipated by
Mark Tinordi who shoots it past Joseph to end the game at 6-4.

The Blues played a good game but laid back after the 6-2 lead.  The Blues
defense relies too much on Curtis Joseph who was very busy facing 46 shots.
Ron Sutter and Bret Hedican didn't play because of injuries.

The Blues used 11 forwards and 7 defensemen for that game:

lines:     Bozon - Korolev - Hull
           Shanahan - Janney - Emerson
           Rich Sutter - Bassen - Lowry 
           Prokhorov - Wilson - Hull (When he was on a double shift)

Defensive pairings:  Butcher - Giles
		     Cavallini - Norwood
		     Brown - Zombo
                     Laperriere

Three stars of the game:     1-Craig Jannney (3 assists)
			     2-Curtis Joseph (42 saves)
                             3-Brett Hull (2 goals and 1 assist)
 

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Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey