The Blues, on N.H.L. scoreboards - NYT Crossword Clue

Introduction

Today's clue, "The Blues, on N.H.L. scoreboards," is a classic example of a sports trivia entry that requires a bit of specific knowledge. It combines a team's nickname with the context of how that team is represented in a specific format - the scoreboard abbreviation. This is a common type of clue in American crosswords, so learning the pattern is a great skill for any solver.

Clue Analysis

Let's break down the components of this clue:

• "The Blues": This is the primary identifier. It's the nickname of a professional sports team.
• "on N.H.L. scoreboards": This part provides two crucial pieces of context. First, the league is the N.H.L. (National Hockey League), so we're talking about hockey. Second, the format is what you'd see on a scoreboard, which strongly suggests we're looking for a short abbreviation, typically three letters.

The clue asks us to identify the N.H.L. team known as "The Blues" and then provide its standard scoreboard abbreviation.

Thinking Approaches

A solver might tackle this clue in a few steps:

1. Identify the League and Team: The clue explicitly mentions the N.H.L. The first mental step is to scan your memory for an N.H.L. team called "The Blues." This leads directly to the St. Louis Blues.
2. Connect Team to Location: The team is the St. Louis Blues. The key part of their name for abbreviation purposes is the city: St. Louis.
3. Formulate the Abbreviation: Sports scoreboards almost universally use three-letter abbreviations for cities. For St. Louis, the standard code is STL. This is also used for the city's airport (Lambert International Airport) and its Major League Baseball team, the Cardinals.
4. Use Crossings to Confirm: If you're unsure, getting even one or two letters from intersecting clues can lock it in. If you have S _ L, STL becomes the most logical answer.

If you don't know the team, you might have to work backward from the crossing letters and the clue's context. If you see you need a three-letter answer, you can think of common N.H.L. abbreviations (NYR, BOS, CHI, etc.) and see if any fit the nickname "The Blues."

Background Context

The team in question is the St. Louis Blues, a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They joined the N.H.L. in 1967 as part of the league's first major expansion. The team's name was inspired by the famous W. C. Handy song, "St. Louis Blues."

The use of three-letter city codes on scoreboards is a standard convention across many sports to save space and provide quick, clear identification. For hockey fans, seeing "STL" instantly brings the St. Louis Blues to mind.

Conclusion

This clue is a straightforward piece of sports trivia that hinges on knowing the nickname of the N.H.L. team from St. Louis. By connecting "The Blues" to St. Louis and understanding the convention of scoreboard abbreviations, the solver can confidently arrive at the three-letter answer.

Hints

1. Hint 1: The clue points to a team in the National Hockey League.
2. Hint 2: The team's nickname, "The Blues," is also a famous genre of music.
3. Hint 3: This team is based in a major Midwestern city known for its Gateway Arch.
4. Hint 4: You're looking for the three-letter code used on scoreboards for this city.