Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

NHL on NBCSN: Miller to make home debut as Blues host Lightning

Ryan Miller

St Louis Blues goaltender Ryan Miller looks on during the pregame skate before an NHL hockey game against the Phoenix Coyotes, Sunday, March. 2, 2014, in Glendale, Ariz. Miller is making his debut with the Blues after being traded from the Buffalo Sabres. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso)

AP

NBCSN continues its coverage of the 2013-14 campaign tonight when the St. Louis Blues host the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scottrade Center at 8:00 p.m. ET. In addition to NBCSN, you can also watch the game online.

One of the joys of trade deadline time is the storylines it creates late in the season. There’s no better example of that than tonight’s game in St. Louis between the Blues and Lightning.

On the one hand, the St. Louis Blues have already made their deadline move acquiring Ryan Miller and Steve Ott from Buffalo. While those two have already made their Blues debut on Sunday night against the Phoenix Coyotes, they’ll be making their first appearance in St. Louis tonight.

Miller only made 23 saves in the Blues’ 4-2 win against the Coyotes and had to come back from being down 2-0 in the third to do it. Life is a bit different from how it was in Buffalo, that’s for sure.

The more important part of that win for the Blues is it snapped a two-game losing skid. They’re locked in a battle atop the Central Division with the Chicago Blackhawks and losing any game the rest of the way could mean the difference in who gets home ice advantage in the playoffs.

Editor’s Note: Pro Hockey Talk’s partner FanDuel is hosting a $1,200 Fantasy Hockey league for Tuesday night’s NHL games. It’s just $10 to join and first prize is $275. Starts Tuesday at 7pm ET. Here’s the FanDuel link.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the flipside of trade talks. Instead of making moves, the stories of late surround whether or not they’re going to make a big move. The center of attention there is captain Martin St. Louis.

Talk persists over whether or not he wants to stay in Tampa and while he’s continued to play outstanding hockey, the Bolts have been a bit inconsistent of late (three wins in the last nine games) and have fallen behind the Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division.

Tampa doesn’t have to make many moves as their biggest “acquisition” will come in the form of Steven Stamkos’ eventual return. Could tonight be St. Louis’ final game in a Lightning jersey? Sure, but it’s up to Ben Bishop and coach Jon Cooper to not let that become a distraction.

Follow @JoeYerdonPHT