Keith Tkachuk has scored all three Blues goals in their first two games including the 400th of his career. He joins Joe Mullen with 502, Pat LaFontaine with 468 Jeremy Roenick with 456, and Mike Modano with 445 as U.S. born players with 400 or more goals. A first round pick, 19th overall in 1990 by the Winnipeg Jets. The Melrose, Massachusetts native enters his 13th NHL season. He has scored 50 goals twice and recorded 30 goals in 8 of his 11 full NHL seasons sons. The Blues open their 2003-2004 home season when they host Washington at the Savvis Center on Saturday, October 18th.
Q. It looks to me look your team is playing in two low scoring games to start the season. That's a pattern that's been repeated elsewhere in the NHL. I know it's early, it's only a week into the season, but do you have any sense at all that we're going to see more scoring this year than last year?
KEITH TKACHUK: I don't know. I know our type of hockey we have to try to play those 2-1, 3-2 type games. Some teams take a different approach. But we want to take an approach of defense first. And we're built around a good defense. We have one of the best defense in the league. You're going to get your chances, but we want to tighten it up a little bit instead of trying to run and gun. But obviously some teams take a different approach. Some games you'll get a lot of goals. But in order for the St. Louis Blues to be successful we have to think of that 2-1, 3-2 type of approach.
Q. And what if it was just you making the decision rather than trying to achieve a team goal like that. Would it be your preference to just play all out hockey? I think about when you broke into the game, it's hard to imagine that you're going to get 50 goals again playing the way that you are. There were tons of guys that were scoring 50 goals in those days. And now it's few and far between.
KEITH TKACHUK: I think you look at the success of a team like New Jersey has had over the past couple years, winning the Stanley Cup with a team concept. And everybody loves to score goals, no question about it. But in order to take it to the next level you have to take that type of approach where a good defensive game can increase your chances. You create some chances.
Q. Two questions. The Blues in the playoffs last year went out fairly early. They had a terrific regular season team. How do you get over the hump to where you're advancing a lot farther down the playoff road when you see a team like Anaheim getting to the finals last year?
KEITH TKACHUK: Well it's tough, obviously it was a disappointing loss. We have been to the conference finals once in the last three years here. I don't know. We have to find a way to get over that hump. You think we built a pretty good hockey team here. And obviously it doesn't happen overnight, but we have to go out and obviously do a better job in our own zone. Like I said in the previous call, time will tell. We feel like we have a good chance to go to that next level. And obviously you have to work towards it all season like we have done in the past and hopefully stay healthy going into the playoffs.
Q. You talk about health. The Blues have some guys out. The Blues get more injuries than most teams in the NHL.
KEITH TKACHUK: Yeah, it's weird. We battled a lot of adversity over the last couple years, with Chris Pronger being out for awhile, Jamal Mayers being out. But this year we're getting Dallas Drake back for tomorrow night. Scott Mellanby is back. He's a big part of our hockey team. It's another man's opportunity. It's a team first and no matter who is in the lineup you have to go out and get the job done. And I think we have done that and we have proven it. But obviously you have to be healthy. When we're healthy, we're a scary hockey team.
Q. Two part question. I was wondering, A, if you personally have given any thought yet to the World Cup coming up. It is less than a year now. And B, if you could just give some of your recollections about the last World Cup, especially the play of mike Richter in that tournament.
KEITH TKACHUK: I haven't really thought about it, because we have so many high expectations here first. We have to concentrate here first. But obviously it would be something that will be a fun tournament. I remember back in '96 -- the second part of your question -- it was just an unbelievable experience. Especially going up to Montreal and meeting Team Canada, two games in a row, obviously unbelievable play of Mike Richter was one reason why we won. Like I said, when it comes around it will be a fun tournament. It's great for hockey. The best players in the world playing. Especially going out up in some of the great cities up in Canada. It's going to be a lot of fun and I can't wait for it.
Q. With the 400th goal you obviously you join Mullen, LaFontaine, Roenick, Modano, all those great players. How does it feel joining such an elite group of U.S. born players on that milestone?
KEITH TKACHUK: It's pretty nice. It's nice to be put in that same category with those guys, those great players. Fortunately I played with a guy like Jeremy Roenick and it was a tremendous honor for him and he was excited. It's just something that you just get to the NHL, which was a dream come true. And then to be able to score some goals is a lot of fun. More importantly, I want to win so bad. So hopefully that will be the next one.
Q. Couple quick questions for you. First of all, the St. Louis Blues right now have more Winnipeg Jet alumni than any other team. I'm wondering if you ever find yourself reminiscing with Finley and Drake about your time with the Jets.
KEITH TKACHUK: Oh, yeah. We always do. Hey, those are great times. I still spend a week or two back in Winnipeg. So it was a long time ago, but of course we reminisced about different times up there. But it was a fun place to play. They got great people up there. And I can't believe that there's only three on our team. I thought there would be more than that that played for the Jets.
Q. On another vein, the collectors market has been expanding a lot, and you've been one of the players that's sort of developed a cult following. What is your attitude towards the hobby in general and what are, what is your outlook for people who are coming to get your autograph?
KEITH TKACHUK: I think it's great. I remember being a kid and wanting to get autographs from guys who I looked up to. I don't mind signing at all for anybody. I think it's great. These are the people that come watch us play. These are the people that hopefully you can make a difference in their life. That's one of the most important things is to try to help out and especially for the kids.
Q. I saw your series a couple years ago with Colorado and thought that you clearly out played the Avalanche and yet they got better goal tending. You have tremendous talent on this team. Do you feel you have the goal tending to go all the way?
KEITH TKACHUK: I think so. Ozzie has been there before and he's won before. When we put him or Brent Johnson, we got two solid goal tenders. And I have already seen, I know it's early but I've seen the type of games that they have to play in order for us to win. They have given us -- Ozzie gave us a chance to win against Colorado. He got peppered with a lot of shots early. Maybe years before when we didn't have that solid goal tending we probably would have been down 2, 3, to nothing. And it would have been tough to come back from that. But we have all the confidence in the world in those two guys. Like I said, Ozzie's won before and we know he can win again. We've got to play solid around him, but he's definitely the guy.
Q. Talk about your relationship with Red Blackwell, who is always outside the door of the dressing rooms in Edmonton?
KEITH TKACHUK: Red's a great guy. I've known him for a lot of years. I met him through Randy Carlisle way back when I first got to Winnipeg. He's just a great solid guy. Every time I go back there I like to help him out. Just being around him and seeing his attitude just a tremendous person. He's just a guy that I just want to help out a lot. He loves being around the guys and he's been around for a long time.
Q. He is the definition of a rink rat?
KEITH TKACHUK: Oh, yeah, he's got that wrapped up, yeah.
Q. There's been a lot of talk the last couple days about the league asking the officials to crack down on slashes to the wrist and the hands. Do you think it's become excessive and would you look forward to having the officials look at that more closely?
KEITH TKACHUK: Well, the officials have a tough job. It's tough to be able to see everything and look for everything. I think the biggest thing that they would have to look for is the obstruction. I think that's the one thing that should be looked at more than anything else. It gives us a chance to skate. Guys are going to use your stick a little bit. Guys go after hands just to lose the puck. I don't think that's a big deal. Unless it's a real tomahawk kind of slash. But the refs have done a great job and they're the best in the world and I feel bad because sometimes it's tough. You can't call everything, you know.
Q. How does playing with Pavol Demitra, how does his style compliment your game compared to centers that you played in the past, Doug, Jeremy, Alexander?
KEITH TKACHUK: It's great. He's got a lot of speed. And we hit it off when I first got here. He loves to pass. He's always trying to get open. He's always skating. It's just one of those things that we read off each other really well. I've been pretty lucky playing with a guy like Pavol. He wants to score. He wants to be involved. And I think that his drive is what makes him such a great player. And I'm very fortunate to play with such a great player like Pavol.
Q. Would you say Demitra is the center that would give you the best chance of returning to that 40 goal plateau?
KEITH TKACHUK: I don't know about that. We got three of the best in the league. Pavol Demitra, Doug Weight, Petr Cajanek, you know they have all been doing it for a lot of years. So you can't go wrong with any one of those guys. I just have to go to the net and get those ugly goals.
Q. When Brad collided with you in that game last March, how badly was your wrist damaged during the playoffs. Were you trying to play with one arm?
KEITH TKACHUK: Well, there's no excuses there. I had a tear, a partial tear in my wrist. We announced it as just a sprained wrist. But it was more than that. It was difficult to play. I couldn't handle the puck and I couldn't shoot. But it's playoffs and anybody in my situation would have tried to play anyway. Unfortunately it didn't go the way I wanted it to, but obviously it was more than just a sprained wrist.
Q. Everybody said Brad's a stand up guy, I know he had to answer to Reed Lowe, but would you like to give him a message yourself next time you see him?
KEITH TKACHUK: No, I mean, hey, it's part of the game, hitting is. It was his first game, he had a lot of adrenaline. And I don't hold that against him. It just stinks that I got hurt. I know Brad pretty well. He's not going to play dirty. Was it a little bit late? I don't know. Who knows. But it's hard for me to fight a Brad May.
