Blues' 2003-04 season to start with plenty of travel

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis Blues will start their regular season Oct. 10 at Phoenix, eight days before their home opener against Washington, according to the 2003-04 schedule released Wednesday.

The Blues' season debut at the Savvis Center will follow road stops against the Coyotes, Colorado and Nashville. The Blues will play six of their first seven games, and seven of their first nine, away from home.

St. Louis will play just two home games in October -- the fewest in team history -- but play 14 of 21 games at the Savvis Center during a stretch in November and December.

Twice in their first 12 games, the Blues will play Vancouver -- the Canadian team that rallied from a three-games-to-one deficit to bounce St. Louis from their first-round playoff series in April.

St. Louis will host the Stanley Cup-champion New Jersey Devils on Jan. 31.

The Blues didn't face Central Division rival Detroit last season until Dec. 8. The teams this season will have met three times by then, starting with an Oct. 29 matchup at Detroit. As part of a six-game series, the Red Wings then will play here Nov. 29 and Dec. 4.

St. Louis will play back-to-back games 19 times, five more than last season.

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