Jr. Blues Sweep the Force with 8-3 Win!

 

The Jr. Blues started the game strong dominating early.  Phil Blackwood scored a power play goal to start things off.  Blackwood took a terrific pass from CJ Jung sending him in the zone.  Blackwood knocked home his own rebound on the play started with a Chris Hutton face-off win.  The Force answered back with 2 quick goals and led 2-1 after one period.  Five minutes into the second period, the power went off at the rink delaying the game for about 45 minutes.  After the teams came back on the ice the Jr. Blues continued to pressure the Force.  Ryan Devine scored on a great cycling play with line mates Justin and Jay Roux.  Moments later Andrew Kurlandski came down the wing and blasted a shot past the Chicago goalie to take the lead.  Phil Blackwood sent Kurlandski in after John Wright made the breakout to Blackwood.  Just 2 minutes later Justin Roux shot a slapper from the blue line beating the goaltender almost exactly the same way.  Jay Roux and John Wright assisted the goal.  Andrew Kurlandski then scored a power play goal walking the puck out of the corner with CJ Jung and Chris Hutton assisting.  Early in the third period, Mike Daniels scored a coast to coast shorthanded goal.  Later in the period Ryan Armstrong blasted a goal from the point with J.P. Burkemper and Mike Daniels assisting.  J.P. Burkemper converted a Grant Boyd rebound with Jack Berger also assisting on the goal to finish the Jr. Blues scoring.

 

The win put the Jr. Blues over the .500 mark for the first time since October.   It also jumped the Jr. Blues in the Standings from 10th to 7th place.  The Jr. Blues next host the Flint Jr. Generals on January 5-6, who earlier this season beat the Jr. Blues 4-3 in OT and 7-1 in Flint.

 

Jr. Blues Beat Steam 5-2!

 

The Jr. Blues smarting off a heartbreaking loss the night before weren't looking too good early.  The Queen City Steam had scored the first goal of the game and were on the power play.  Justin Roux intercepted a Queen City pass in the Jr. Blues zone and hit twin brother Jay Roux with a pass.  Jay skated past the defense for a breakaway and tied the score.  Andrew Kurlandski gave the Jr. Blues the lead as he scored off a perfect feed from Phil Blackwood.  Chris Hutton also assisted on the goal.  In the second period,  Mike Daniels and Jack Berger made a nice cycling play.  Daniels then hit J.P. Burkemper at the dot and J.P. one-timed a quick shot to give the Jr. Blues a 3-1 lead.  Once again the Jr. Blues were short handed and once again the Roux crew combined for a shorthanded goal.  Grant Boyd broke up a play deep in the St. Louis zone and hit Justin Roux with a pass.  Justin was joined by his twin Jay on the 2 on 1 break.  Justin made a perfect sauce pass to Jay who directed the pass past the goaltender for his second shorty of the day.  Early in the third period the Steam cut the lead to 4-2 but Stu Scott made numerous big saves before Andrew Kurlandski scored the empty net goal.  The Showcase netted the Jr. Blues 5 out of a possible 8 points and has them climbing back into contention for a playoff spot.  

Phil Blackwood led the Jr. Blues rally with a beautiful breakaway goal and two assists.  

 

Grant Boyd's power play goal with less than two minutes remaining forces OT

Jr. Blues Beat Queen City Steam 6-2!

 

The Jr. Blues started strong and played a solid game throughout.  Jack Berger scored on an early 3 on 2 break.  Berger wristed a high shot past the goaltender on a pretty play with J.P. Burkemper and Mike Daniels.  Phil Blackwood snipped a quick shot right off the draw from Chris Hutton to take a 2-0 lead.  In the second period, Grant Boyd scored a power play goal with Andrew Kurlandski and Phil Blackwood assisting.  Boyd was the recipient of a knee to knee hit that injured the standout defenseman.  Determined not to let the injury slow him down, he made a big hit and a nifty play just prior to his goal showing great determination.  The Steam then scored a late second period goal and an early third period goal to cut the Jr. Blues lead to 3-2.  Sam Davis put all thoughts of a Queen City comeback to rest as he scored off a perfect feed from Phil Blackwood.  Andrew Kurlandski also assisted on the goal.  Ryan Armstrong then blasted a power play goal from the point with Berger and Mike Daniels assisting.  Berger ended the game the way he started it converting another odd man rush with a perfect wrister just under the bar.  J.P. Burkemper and Andrew Clark assisted on the goal with Clark starting the play with a defensive stop.  Stu Scott was solid in nets making 28 saves on 30 shots

Jr. Blues Shutout 4-0

 

The Peoria Mustangs were dominant in the first period firing 24 shots at goaltender Stu Scott.  Scott only allowed one goal keeping the Jr. Blues in the game.  The second period was a strong period for the Jr. Blues as they fired 15 shots but it was the Mustangs who did all the scoring with 3 goals.  After a scoreless third period the Jr. Blues were swept for the first time in history by the Peoria Mustangs. 

Jr. Blues Win With Boyd and Blackwood Leading the Way!

 

In a game which the Motor City Chiefs decided that their focus was more on trying to start fisticuffs the Jr. Blues stuck to hockey and prevailed in a thriller.  Zach Hamilton, ignoring taunts from the Chiefs, scored the games first goal.  On the goal, CJ Jung hit Phil Blackwood in the neutral zone.  Blackwood put a move on two Chiefs then placed a perfect saucer pass on the tape of Hamilton who banged home the power play goal.  With the Jr. Blues once again on the power play, Grant Boyd made an improbable rush that resulted in a power play goal.  Boyd, seemingly stopped at the blue line kept going and scored on a quick shot in the slot.  John Wright assisted on the goal.  Early in the second period, the Jr. Blues were on a short  5 on 3 power play.  The Jr. Blues made no mistake as all 5 players touched the puck resulting in Phil Blackwood hitting Chris Hutton on a perfect back door feed.  CJ Jung also assisted.  Moments later, Justin Roux finished a nice cycling play as Jay Roux and Ryan Devine combined for the goal.  The 4-0 lead was short lived as 2 penalties were called almost instantly.  The Chiefs scored on the 5 on 3 and the 5 on 4 cutting the lead to 4-2.  Phil Blackwood then sniped on a rare 4 on 3 power play with Blackwood taking his time on the face-off dot and snipping a perfect shot in the top corner.  Grant Boyd and CJ Jung assisted on the goal.  The Chiefs were once again awarded another 5 on 3 power play and then 3 more consecutive penalties as they scored twice to make the score 5-4 after two periods.  The Chiefs were awarded 2 power plays early in the third and finally tied the score with their 5th power play goal.  The Jr. Blues then won the game their first power play after the Chiefs had 8 consecutive power plays.  With a scrum in front of the Jr. Blues bench, the Jr. Blues came out with the puck as Grant Boyd hit Phil Blackwood in the neutral zone.  Blackwood skated in the zone and made a picture perfect pass to Boyd who was driving the net and tapped in the game winner.  Looking for an insurance goal late in the game, Phil Blackwood outraced the Chiefs defense on an icing and hit Chris Hutton in front who one timed a shot past the goaltender giving the Jr. Blues the weekend sweep.