Das Forum » ST. LOUIS (AP) — David Perron

ST. LOUIS (AP) — David Perron had no idea what would happen when he became a free agent this summer. Then he got a familiar call.Perron’s NHL odyssey has taken him all over his native Canada and the United States. But he always seems to find his way back to St. Louis.The 30-year-old Perron is beginning his third stint with his first NHL team after signing a $16 million Mark Scheifele Jersey , four-year deal with the Blues. When it came time to pick a new home this summer, the veteran winger opted for an old one.“I definitely like the mentality here,” Perron said. “I like the way things are and obviously a lot of the same familiar faces in the management, so yeah, it makes it really appealing to come back. I think I really enjoy the city for my family. It’s a city that when you get to know (it) you really enjoy.”Perron and his wife, Vanessa, have two kids; Mason, 3, and Victoria, 1. Mason just started preschool. Victoria was born in St. Louis.“It’s the first time I buy a house in the hockey season, so to speak Mathieu Perreault Jersey ,” he said, “so we’re excited.”St. Louis is glad to have him back, too. Perron’s contract was part of an active offseason for the Blues after they fell just short of a playoff berth, ending a streak of six consecutive appearances in the postseason.“Bottom line is he’s here because he’s a good NHL player,” coach Mike Yeo said. “The track record is there. He did it with us two years ago. He did it last year in Vegas, and I think it makes us stronger from top to bottom.”Perron was selected by St. Louis in the first round of the 2007 draft and made his NHL debut that same year at age 19. He played for the Blues for six seasons before he was traded to Edmonton in July 2013.Following stints with the Oilers, Pittsburgh and Anaheim, he returned to St. Louis when he agreed to a $7.5 million, two-year contract in 2016. But the Blues left him unprotected for the expansion draft last June and the Golden Knights pounced.Perron’s season in Sin City was a memorable one. He collected 16 goals and a career-high 50 assists, helping Vegas win the Pacific Division. He had nine more points in the playoffs as the Golden Knights made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Washington in five games.The experience in Vegas, being part of a wildly successful expansion team Patrik Berglund Jersey Womens , changed Perron’s mentality on what it takes to win in the NHL.“Just the way things were approached in Vegas, how loose we were, how much fun we had, and then we still found a way to get on the ice and take care of business and still have fun while doing it,” he said. “It’s definitely important. Sometimes you get too tense in a season. You overlook things. You overanalyze things and it’s definitely changed my perspective on things a little bit.”The Golden Knights’ run also shortened Perron’s offseason, and he noticed a difference early in training camp with the Blues. He was slowed by a groin and hip issue before making his preseason debut Tuesday night against the Capitals. He skated with Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz before he got hurt, and then worked on a line with Tyler Bozak and Alexander Steen against Washington.Wherever he plays, the Blues think Perron will be a key contributor in a much deeper group of forwards compared to last season.“Highly skilled obviously, we know that,” Schenn said. “A right shot, which we badly needed. He’s able to make plays http://www.officialhockeyjetsshop.com/authentic-adidas-nikolaj-ehlers-jersey , see the ice very well, very skilled, so we’re looking forward to having him a part of our lineup.” DENVER (AP) — The success on the ice quickly returned and so will Mikko Rantanen.Another score — along with a big exhale — for the struggling Colorado Avalanche.Rantanen scored two of Colorado’s franchise record-tying six second-period goals, Semyon Varlamov stopped 30 shots and the Avalanche routed the Los Angeles Kings 7-1 on Saturday.Rantanen was sidelined in the third period with a lower-body injury. He’s among the NHL’s scoring leaders with 73 points.“He’s all right,” captain Gabriel Landeskog confirmed. “It was a 7-0 game (when he left).”Colorado had six goals in a period for the first time since March 3, 1999, at Florida. In addition to Rantanen, Landeskog, Tyson Barrie, Sheldon Dries and Colin Wilson also scored during the decisive period.Dries’ short-handed goal made it 5-0 and chased goalie Jonathan Quick. Carl Soderberg got things rolling with a goal in the first period as Colorado returned home in fine fashion following a 1-4 trip.“We know how bad we’ve been lately, and that’s unacceptable for this group Patrik Laine Jersey ,” Barrie said. “We’re a team that has a lot of pride. We had a lot to prove tonight and I think we did that.”Varlamov was on top of his game and cruising toward a shutout before Ilya Kovalchuk ended the bid with a power-play goal in the final period.“He just looked steady and calm,” coach Jared Bednar said.It wasn’t all positive for the Avalanche with veteran defenseman Erik Johnson taking a puck off his jaw early in the first period. He went to the locker room for treatment and was later ruled out. Bednar had no update after the game.Everything was going Colorado’s way in the second, including a disallowed goal late when it was ruled that Los Angeles defenseman Derek Forbort kicked in the puck with his skate.The Avalanche had a short-handed goal in the second after Matt Calvert grabbed a loose puck and raced in on Quick, who deflected the puck into the air. Dries was trailing on the play and batted it in with his stick. Los Angeles challenged the call for goaltender interference as Calvert landed on top of Quick. But the call was upheld.Quick gave way to Jack Campbell.Campbell allowed goals to Rantanen and Wilson. It was the ninth time in Avalanche/Nordiques history the team has scored six goals in a period.“It was just a pathetic second period,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. “I really don’t even know what to say. Yeah, they played well. We just played poor. We left our goalies out to dry again. We’re sick of doing that. When we win games, we leave them out to dry. When we lose games, we leave them out to dry. It’s about time we play for them.”Kings coach Willie Desjardins didn’t see this kind of performance coming. Well, maybe for the other side.“If there was anything, Colorado was due,” said Desjardins Vladimir Sobotka Jersey Womens , whose team went 1-1-1 on their three-game trip. “They hadn’t been on top of their game and they were going to come hard. They got a shorty, power play, so kind of everything that could go wrong with our team went wrong tonight.”It was a productive afternoon for Barrie, Calvert and Nathan MacKinnon, who each had two assists. Colorado improved to 2-0-1 this season against the King and has outscored them 16-7.Despite their recent slump, the Avs remain in the thick of playoff contention. Bednar considers that “miraculously” fortunate. The Avs are 3-8-2 over their last 13 games.“We should be extremely fortunate,” Bednar said. “Count your blessings and roll up your sleeves and get to work and take advantage of it.”NOTES: Quick had a 2.15 goals-against mark against Colorado going into Saturday. … The contest was part of a doubleheader with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets playing at night. It’s the first Avalanche-Nuggets doubleheader at Pepsi Center since April 8, 2006. … Colorado kicked off a five-game homestand that’s interrupted by the NHL All-Star Game and the team’s bye week.UP NEXTKings: Host St. Louis on Monday.Avalanche: Host Nashville on Monday.