David Backes News

The Blues captain is as good a place as any to start the grading. David Backes was not the goal scorer he has been in past years.

People try to save animals from shelters everyday. Today was no different except a hockey player and airplane were involved.

St. Louis Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong talks with reporters after it was announced he has been signed to a five-year contract extention, at the Scottrade Center in St.

As the Kings wait to see who they'll be facing in the next round, let's take a look at how some the matchups brokedown in their first round series against the Blues.

Mouth agape, Ken Hitchcock struggled to process the buzzer-beater that crushed the St.

The Blues were dominant on the puck for pretty much the entire game. Puck possession in this series was heavily .

Defenseman Robyn Regehr suffered a broken nose when Blues captain David Backes kicked him in the face during a scary collision behind the net in Game 1 last week in St.

This is do or die time for the Blues, who are winless in LA in their past two seasons, playoffs included.

May 8, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov celebrates his game winning goal against the St.

The Kings were soundly out-played for long stretches yet managed to won the game.

MAY 06: Jonathan Quick #32 of the Los Angeles Kings looks back as David Backes #42 of the St.

St. Louis forward David Backes, top, is the latest player in the physical Blues-Kings series who may be hurting, though coach Ken Hitchcock isn't saying.

May 6 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar celebrates with teammates Dustin Brown , Jeff Carter and Slava Voynov after scoring a goal in the third period in game four of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs against the St.

Let's see. Barret Jackman getting a crosschecking call while coming into a scrum to protect his goalie? Check.

The St. Louis Blues hold a 2-1 advantage in their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings , but that is due more to the stellar goaltending of Brian Elliott than to anything the team's offense has done.

Alas, the Kings avoided a sweep by winning game 3, and thus extending their home winning streak.

May 4, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown and St.

On a Saturday night where the St. Louis Blues had trouble hitting the net, Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick stopped everything else sent his way in the Kings' 1-0 victory in Game 3. Slava Voynov's rebound goal out of an extended pileup near the Blues' net provided the only goal of the night 4 minutes, 56 seconds into the second period.

APRIL 30: Jaden Schwartz #9 of the St. Louis Blues battles Drew Doughty #8 of the Los Angeles Kings for control of the puck in Game One of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Scottrade Center on April 30, 2013 in St.

Alex Steen stole the puck from the unsuspecting goalie behind the net and scored a short-handed goal to give the St.