1994–95 St. Louis Blues season

The 1994–95 St. Louis Blues season was the 28th in franchise history. The season started with good fortunes for the Blues, as Mike Keenan, who had coached the 1993–94 New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup, signed with the team in the off-season. The Blues also acquired four players from the Cup-winning Rangers: Glenn Anderson, Greg Gilbert, Doug Lidster and Esa Tikkanen. On April 16, 1995, captain Brett Hull had his first-ever four-goal game in a 6–5 win over the Detroit Red Wings.

1994–95 St. Louis Blues
Division2nd Central
Conference3rd Western
1994–95 record28–15–5
Home record16–6–2
Road record12–9–3
Goals for178
Goals against135
Team information
General managerMike Keenan
CoachMike Keenan
CaptainBrett Hull
ArenaKiel Center
Team leaders
GoalsBrett Hull (29)
AssistsSteve Duchesne (26)
PointsBrett Hull (50)
Penalty minutesBrendan Shanahan (136)
WinsCurtis Joseph (20)
Goals against averageJon Casey (2.75)

The Blues played strong all season and finished third in the Conference. They powered their way to fourth place in scoring in the league with 178 goals.

Off-season

The Blues moved from their home in the Arena where they had played since their inception to the newly built Kiel Center. The inaugural game was set to be played against their rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks, but the NHL lockout kept this game from being played. The first official game wasn't played until January 1995. The regular season was shortened to 48 games.

Regular season

The Blues scored 135 even-strength goals during the regular season, the most among all 26 NHL teams and tied the Washington Capitals for the fewest short-handed goals allowed (2).[1]

Final standings
Central Division
No. CR GP W L T GF GA Pts
11Detroit Red Wings483311418011770
22St. Louis Blues482815517813561
34 Chicago Blackhawks482419515611553
45Toronto Maple Leafs482119813514650
58Dallas Stars481723813613542
610Winnipeg Jets481625715717739

[2]

Note: No. = Division rank, CR = Conference rank, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
       Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Western Conference[3]
R Div GP W L T GF GA Pts
1p – Detroit Red WingsCEN483311418011770
2x – Calgary FlamesPAC482417716313555
3St. Louis BluesCEN482815517813561
4Chicago BlackhawksCEN482419515611553
5Toronto Maple LeafsCEN482119813514650
6Vancouver CanucksPAC4818181215314848
7San Jose SharksPAC481925412916142
8Dallas StarsCEN481723813613542
9Los Angeles KingsPAC481623914217441
10Winnipeg JetsCEN481625715717739
11Edmonton OilersPAC481727413618338
12Mighty Ducks of AnaheimPAC481627512516437

Divisions: CEN – Central, PAC – Pacific

bold – Qualified for playoffs; x – Won division; p – Won Presidents' Trophy

Schedule and results
No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1WJanuary 20, 19955–2@ San Jose Sharks (1994–95)1–0–0
2WJanuary 21, 19957–1@ Vancouver Canucks (1994–95)2–0–0
3LJanuary 24, 19954–6@ Calgary Flames (1994–95)2–1–0
4WJanuary 26, 19953–1Los Angeles Kings (1994–95)3–1–0
5LJanuary 28, 19951–3Vancouver Canucks (1994–95)3–2–0
6WJanuary 31, 19957–2Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1994–95)4–2–0
7WFebruary 2, 19955–4 OT@ Winnipeg Jets (1994–95)5–2–0
8WFebruary 4, 19957–4Dallas Stars (1994–95)6–2–0
9TFebruary 7, 19955–5 OTLos Angeles Kings (1994–95)6–2–1
10LFebruary 9, 19950–5Chicago Blackhawks (1994–95)6–3–1
11LFebruary 11, 19952–3Winnipeg Jets (1994–95)6–4–1
12WFebruary 13, 19954–2Calgary Flames (1994–95)7–4–1
13WFebruary 17, 19954–3@ Winnipeg Jets (1994–95)8–4–1
14LFebruary 18, 19951–3@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1994–95)8–5–1
15WFebruary 20, 19954–0Edmonton Oilers (1994–95)9–5–1
16WFebruary 22, 19954–3San Jose Sharks (1994–95)10–5–1
17WFebruary 25, 19953–2@ Detroit Red Wings (1994–95)11–5–1
18WFebruary 27, 19953–2Toronto Maple Leafs (1994–95)12–5–1
19LMarch 5, 19951–2@ Dallas Stars (1994–95)12–6–1
20WMarch 7, 19956–3Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1994–95)13–6–1
21WMarch 9, 19955–1Calgary Flames (1994–95)14–6–1
22LMarch 12, 19951–2Detroit Red Wings (1994–95)14–7–1
23LMarch 14, 19955–6@ Edmonton Oilers (1994–95)14–8–1
24TMarch 16, 19952–2 OT@ Los Angeles Kings (1994–95)14–8–2
25WMarch 19, 19954–2@ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1994–95)15–8–2
26LMarch 20, 19953–5@ Los Angeles Kings (1994–95)15–9–2
27LMarch 22, 19953–4@ Calgary Flames (1994–95)15–10–2
28WMarch 26, 19955–1Edmonton Oilers (1994–95)16–10–2
29WMarch 27, 19953–2@ Dallas Stars (1994–95)17–10–2
30WMarch 29, 19953–1@ Chicago Blackhawks (1994–95)18–10–2
31WMarch 31, 19954–1San Jose Sharks (1994–95)19–10–2
32TApril 2, 19953–3 OT@ Detroit Red Wings (1994–95)19–10–3
33WApril 3, 19955–2Toronto Maple Leafs (1994–95)20–10–3
34WApril 5, 19956–4@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1994–95)21–10–3
35LApril 9, 19952–3Dallas Stars (1994–95)21–11–3
36WApril 11, 19957–5Winnipeg Jets (1994–95)22–11–3
37LApril 13, 19952–5@ Winnipeg Jets (1994–95)22–12–3
38WApril 16, 19956–5Detroit Red Wings (1994–95)23–12–3
39WApril 18, 19954–1Vancouver Canucks (1994–95)24–12–3
40TApril 19, 19952–2 OT@ Chicago Blackhawks (1994–95)24–12–4
41WApril 21, 19953–1Toronto Maple Leafs (1994–95)25–12–4
42TApril 23, 19952–2 OTChicago Blackhawks (1994–95)25–12–5
43WApril 25, 19958–4@ Dallas Stars (1994–95)26–12–5
44LApril 27, 19952–3 OT@ Edmonton Oilers (1994–95)26–13–5
45LApril 28, 19951–3@ Vancouver Canucks (1994–95)26–14–5
46WApril 30, 19954–3@ San Jose Sharks (1994–95)27–14–5
47WMay 1, 19955–3@ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1994–95)28–14–5
48LMay 3, 19952–3Detroit Red Wings (1994–95)28–15–5

Playoffs

With all its firepower and playoff experience, St. Louis was heavily favored to beat 6th place Vancouver in the first round of the 1995 NHL Playoffs. However, after winning game 1, the Blues dropped the next two games and never regained the series lead. After a tough overtime loss in game 5, the Blues fought back in game 6 with an explosive 8–2 victory at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver to tie the series at 3–3. In game 7 at the Kiel Center, the Blues outshot the Canucks 44–22, but Vancouver goaltender Kirk McLean was solid in net, making 41 saves; St. Louis goaltender Curtis Joseph struggled, allowing 4 goals on only 21 shots. Pavel Bure added an empty-net goal with 22 seconds remaining in the third period to give the Canucks a 5–3 win and the series 4 games to 3.

St. Louis vs. Vancouver
DateAwayHome
May 7Vancouver 12 St. Louis
May 9Vancouver 53 St. Louis
May 11St. Louis 16 Vancouver
May 13St. Louis 52 Vancouver
May 15Vancouver 65 St. LouisOT
May 17St. Louis 82 Vancouver
May 19Vancouver 53 St. Louis
Vancouver wins series 4–3

Player statistics

Regular season
Scoring
Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG
Brett HullRW482921501013936
Brendan ShanahanLW452021411367626
Steve DuchesneD471226383629101
Esa TikkanenLW431223352213521
Adam CreightonC481420347417301
Al MacInnisD32820284319200
Ian LaperriereRW371314278512101
Glenn AndersonRW36121426379003
Greg GilbertLW461114251122003
Jeff NortonD28218203321001
Bill HoulderD41513182016100
Denis ChasseRW47791613312100
Guy CarbonneauC42511161611101
Patrice TardifC2731013294100
David RobertsLW196511102302
Vitali KaramnovLW263710147000
Doug LidsterD37279129100
Craig JanneyC825703100
Kevin MillerC1525704000
Craig JohnsonLW1533664000
Todd ElikC1324645000
Rick ZomboD23145247001
Murray BaronD39055939000
Basil McRaeLW21055724000
Tony TwistLW28303890001
Donald DufresneD22033102000
Peter StastnyC611201000
Curtis JosephG3601100000
Geoff SarjeantG401120000
Jeff BattersD1000021-5000
Philippe BozonLW100000000
Jon CaseyG1900000000
Denny FelsnerLW30002-1000
Terry HollingerD50002-1000
Daniel LaperriereD4000151000
Vitali ProkhorovLW200001000
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L T GA GAA SO SA SV SV%
Curtis Joseph19143620101892.791904815.902
Jon Casey87219754402.750400360.900
Geoff Sarjeant120410063.0005246.885
Team:290648281551352.79113561221.900

Playoffs
Scoring
Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG
Brendan ShanahanLW5459142101
Brett HullRW762800200
Denis ChasseRW7178237000
Todd ElikC743721110
Al MacInnisD715610-3000
Esa TikkanenLW722420-1101
Steve DuchesneD704420000
Ian LaperriereRW7044213000
Basil McRaeLW721344000
Guy CarbonneauC712363000
Greg GilbertLW703360000
Adam CreightonC720216-1101
Glenn AndersonRW6112490000
Murray BaronD711222000
Bill HoulderD411206000
Jeff NortonD7112111000
Curtis JosephG701100000
Jon CaseyG200000000
Donald DufresneD30004-1000
Craig JohnsonLW100020000
Vitali KaramnovLW200020000
Doug LidsterD400026000
David RobertsLW60004-5000
Tony TwistLW100060000
Rick ZomboD30002-1000
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L GA GAA SO SA SV SV%
Curtis Joseph392733243.670178154.865
Jon Casey3020124.000108.800
Team:422734263.700188162.862

[4]

Note:
Pos = Position; GPI = Games played in; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; +/- = Plus/minus; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
Min, TOI = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T,T/OT = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;

Transactions

Draft picks

St. Louis's draft picks at the 1994 NHL Entry Draft held at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club Team (League)
368Stephane Roy CanadaVal-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)
494Tyler Harlton CanadaVernon Lakers (BCHL)
5120Edvin Frylen SwedenVIK Västerås HK (Sweden)
7172Roman Vopat Czech RepublicChemopetrol Litvínov (Czech Republic)
8198Steve Noble CanadaStratford Cullitons (MOJHL)
9224Marc Stephan CanadaTri-City Americans (WHL)
10250Kevin Harper CanadaWexford Raiders (OJHL)
11276Scott Fankhouser United StatesUniversity of Massachusetts (Hockey East)

References
  1. https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1995.html
  2. Standings: NHL Public Relations Department (2008). Dave McCarthy; et al. (eds.). THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Official Guide & Record Book/2009. National Hockey League. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-894801-14-0.
  3. "1994-1995 Conference Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". NHL.
  4. "1994-95 St. Louis Blues Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com". hockey-reference.com. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
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