St. Louis Jr. Blues (7-1-1, 15 pts) vs Peoria Mustangs (6-4-0, 12 pts)
VENUE: Owens Center, Peoria, Ill.
GAME TIMES: October 19 at 7:15 PM, October 20 at 6:45 PM (all times Central)
WHERE TO FOLLOW: All Jr. Blues games are streamed live and on HockeyTV.com (subscription required). On Twitter, follow @JrBluesHockey for live updates, as well as on Instagram @STLJrBlues
A QUICK RECAP: The Jr. Blues took maximum points from the Wisconsin Whalers last weekend, winning 9-2 and 5-0. Matt Griffin was named Central Division 2nd Star of the Week on the back of his 28-save shutout on Sunday afternoon, while Dante Jones’ torrid run of form continued with four goals and two assists, including a hat-trick on Saturday.
THE RIVALRY RENEWED: Peoria and St. Louis meet for the first two of six meetings this season this weekend, with this weekend’s series given extra weight as it is a chance to gain ground on division leaders Milwaukee, who are idle. Last year the Jr. Blues won the regular season series between the two clubs 7-1, and also swept the Mustangs to reach the Fraser Cup Finals.
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS: Steve Ortman’s young Mustangs enter the series having won their last four games, including a home sweep of Willmar last weekend. Six players on the squad are in double figures in terms of points, including returning forward Jack Radley (6 G, 9 A) and rookie talent Tristan Trudel (8 G, 4 A), himself the son of former Mustangs and current Peoria Rivermen coach Jean-Guy Trudel.
JUNIOR NOTES: Mark your calendars for November 17th, when the Jr. Blues and the Affton Bantam AA team will be having a special fundraiser at Nubby’s BBQ (11133 Lindbergh Business Ct, inside the All American Sports Center). That day the Jr. Blues play Evansville at 4, and the dinner will begin at 6:30 after the conclusion of the game.
