Blues Look To Be Better Against East

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The Blues return to action on Wednesday night in Carolina when they play their third game of the young regular season against an Eastern Conference foe. The Note is 0-2 in out-of-conference play following losses to Atlanta and Pittsburgh by a combined score of 9-3 (4-2 loss at home to the Thrashers, 5-1 loss last week to the Penguins on the road).

Andy Murray's team has struggled against the East dating back to last season and over the last four years overall. The Blues are 19-26-6 against the East since the lockout in 2005. The Note was 7-10-1 in games outside the Western Conference last season. Prior to that, the Note was 6-3-1 in the 2007-2008 season following a 5-3-2 mark against the East in 2006-2007. Marked improvements from a 1-7-and-2 record out-of-conference in the 2005-2006 season.

You may notice, from the numbers, that play against a team's opposite conference has expanded, dating back to last season, to 18 games from 10...thus there is greater importance on playing well outside your conference.

The Blues are off to a 4-4-1 start overall and will meet a Hurricanes team on Weddnesday that is also struggling following a playoff year. The Blues and 'Canes are 24th and 25th on their respective power plays.

The Note announced today that forward D-J King expects to miss the next eight-to-ten weeks with a broken right hand. King suffered the injury in a first period fight on Saturday evening in a 4-1 loss at home to Dallas.

TPC