Blues want better start against Flames

CALGARY - If there was something missing from Saturday's game against the Islanders, it might have been a quick start out of the gate.
Blues Head Coach Mike Yeo said that shouldn't be an issue tonight.

"We'll be ready to start tonight. We recognized it. It crept (into our game) and we got away with it for a couple games," Yeo said. "Sometimes its hard for that to really take hold and for the palyers to really understand it until you have to battle through a loss. So it was a good reminder last game.
"I think we'll be ready to start, and I know they will be, too," Yeo added. "Having a good start doesn't meant you're going to go out and grab a lead every game. Obviously that's what we'd all like to accomplish, but they have a say in it too. For me, it's about how quickly we get to our game and seeing the urgency and the detais our our game right from the start."

The slow start Saturday resulted in a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders, just the second regulation loss the Blues have suffered in the last 12 games. New York jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Brayden Schenn and Scottie Upshall scored, but it wasn't enough.
"I don't think it was a 5-2 hockey game by any means," Schenn said. "We had our chances, we just weren't able to convert… They came out hard, they made some good plays. Scoring in the first five minutes obviously gave them some energy and some life. We would have liked a better start."
The Flames (9-7-0) doubled up the Red Wings with a 6-3 win at the Saddledome in their last contest on Thursday night. Johnny Gaudreau had two goals and an assist, Jaromir Jagr had a goal and an assist and Matthew Tkachuk also scored in the win. Gaudreau (22), Sean Monahan (16) and Tkachuk (11) lead the Flames in points this season. Calgary has the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

The Blues have found considerable success against the Flames in recent seasons, earning 12 points in their last 14 meetings (10-2-2), which includes a 5-2 win in their first matchup this season at Scottrade Center on Oct. 25. The Blues have earned points in seven of their last nine trips to Calgary (6-2-1) and have earned points in 10 straight games against Pacific Division teams.

HOT VS. CALGARY

• Paul Stastny has 57 points (24 goals, 33 assists) in 49 career games against Calgary, his most against any team in the League.
  - Vladimir Tarasenko has 14 points in his last 12 games against the Flames (four goals, 10 assists).
  - Alexander Steen has 20 points in his last 15 games vs. Calgary (nine goals, 11 assists).
  - Alex Pietrangelo has 16 points in 18 career games against the Flames (seven goals, nine assists).

BLUE NOTES

• Schenn scored his fifth goal of the season Saturday to extend his point streak to four games (two goals, seven assists).
  - Jaden Schwartz has seven points in his last six games (two goals, five assists) after recording an assist in Saturday's loss to the Islanders.
  - The Blues have scored first in 10 games this season and have a record of 8-1-1 in that scenario.
  - Blues defensemen have accounted for 19 of the Blues' 56 goals this season (33.9 percent). Since Yeo took over in February, the Blue shave five defensemen who rank in the Top 20 among defensemen in plus/minus.