New photo Refurbished, loaded St. Louis Blues hoping it's their year

ST. LOUIS (AP) - One talented Russian winger. Deep lines and pairings. Years of playoff heartache.

Months after Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals won the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history, the St. Louis Blues are looking to follow in their footsteps.

"They don't give up after a lot of tough years," star winger Vladimir Tarasenko said. "They work on their game, play hard and finally reach their goal, so this is a really good example for us. I think that's what we need to try to do."

St. Louis also is looking for the franchise's first championship. The Blues missed the playoffs last year after six consecutive appearances, falling one point shy of continuing the streak when they lost 5-2 at Colorado on the final day of the regular season.

General manager Doug Armstrong could have taken the franchise in a different direction after the disappointing finish, but he decided to strengthen the roster instead. The Blues signed center Tyler Bozak, wingers David Perron and Patrick Maroon, and backup goaltender Chad Johnson in free agency, and traded for center Ryan O'Reilly in a blockbuster deal with Buffalo.

The veteran holdovers, including Tarasenko, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and goaltender Jake Allen, enjoyed the view during Armstrong's active offseason.

FILE - In this April 4, 2018, file photo, St. Louis Blues' Vladimir Tarasenko, of Russia, is congratulated by teammates Jaden Schwartz (17) and Alex Pietrangelo (27) after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, in St. Louis. The Blues begion their season on Oct. at home against Winnipeg. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

"It's obviously huge," said Brayden Schenn, who set career highs with 28 goals and 42 assists in his first year with St. Louis. "You look at our division, how tight it's going to be, how tight the West is going to be, you've got to have the pieces to compete and we feel like we have that in this locker room."

With Schenn, O'Reilly and Bozak, the Blues have one of the league's strongest groups of centers. Perron collected a career-high 50 assists last season while helping expansion Vegas make it to the Stanley Cup Final, and the rugged Maroon had 17 goals and 26 assists in 74 games with Edmonton and New Jersey.

The Blues are hoping the new additions will help them get back to their usual lofty spot in the rough-and-tumble Central Division - and then make some playoff history.

"We need to learn from last year," Tarasenko said. "It's not enough to play up and down all year and then fighting for one point, I don't think that's the spot where we want to be. I think our goal is to make the playoff without questions and just win the Cup, so that's what we need to do and play more consistent during the season."

WATCHING FABBRI

Robby Fabbri missed all of last season after re-tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He was activated off injured reserve before the start of training camp, but he has been slowed by a groin strain. The 22-year-old Fabbri was selected by St. Louis in the first round of the 2014 draft. He had 29 goals and 37 assists in 123 games before the run of injuries, and could add to the Blues' forward depth if he can find a way to stay healthy.

"He can do everything," Tarasenko said. "He's smart and can score, can pass the puck, like play the game well. You know when we was playing together, it was fun. I like spending time on the ice with him."

POWER-PLAY WOES

St. Louis finished 30th in the 31-team NHL with a 15.4 percent success rate on the power play last season, just ahead of Edmonton at 14.8 percent. The Blues had just 38 power-play goals.

WORTH WATCHING

The 26-year-old Tarasenko remains one of the NHL's most gifted scorers. He had 33 goals and 33 assists in 80 games last season. But Tarasenko had left shoulder surgery on April 11 after he got hurt in a collision with Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog in the regular-season finale.

WORTH WATCHING II

Allen missed the start of training camp due to back spasms. The 28-year-old Allen had a 2.75 goals-against average and .906 save percentage while splitting time with Carter Hutton last season, and his play is a big key for the Blues this year.

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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

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Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap

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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2018, file photo, St. Louis Blues head coach Mike Yeo talks to his team during a time out during the third period of an NHL preseason hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, in Des Moines, Iowa. The Blues begin their season on Oct. 4 at home against Winnipeg. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney, File)

FILE - In this Monday, April 2, 2018 file photo,St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn is seen during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals in St. Louis. One talented Russian winger. Deep lines and pairings. Years of playoff heartache.Months after Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals won the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history, the St. Louis Blues are looking to follow in their footsteps. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

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News Pictures Refurbished, loaded St. Louis Blues hoping it's their year

You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!

TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st

To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.

Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”

Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”

kim cattrall

Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb

SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.

Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
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