The Blues faced off against the TCS Bears this afternoon in their first preseason game. While the game was not the same polished performance that they finished last season with, there were definitely bright spots. The Blues netminder Joe Howe finished the day with a shutout including a couple of strong saves near the end of the third. The Blues showed flashes of brilliance in both the first and second, but could not solve the Bears goalie who had a very strong two periods. A goalie change for the Bears in the third proved to be just what the Blues needed as they scored in the first minute with Anthony Lemieux cleaning up a goal left near the crease for the first goal of the season.
The Blues breakouts and sustained pressure were much better in the third and this resulted in their second goal, a nice shot by Artem Meshcherin. The Blues play again next Sunday and hope to see fans in the stands.