Edmundson scores late in 4-3 win over Ducks

Goal comes with 19.8 seconds remaining to put Blues three points 

ahead of Los Angeles in wild card, two behind Nashville for third in division

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- When Robert Bortuzzo was asked about the impact he, fellow defenseman Joel Edmundson and fourth-line wing Ryan Reaves made in a 4-3 victory against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, Bortuzzo had the line of the night.

"We were joking after the game, 'You're not going to see a board like that too often,'" Bortuzzo said of the whiteboard inside the Blues' locker room with the numbers 41, 75 and 6 written on it indicating those are the players media is waiting to interview.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Ryan Reaves scored a goal in helping the Blues defeat the Anaheim

Ducks 4-3 on Friday night at Scottrade Center.

"If you guys want to take a picture or something, go ahead."

The picture that will be played over and over was the shot and goal scored by Edmundson with 19.8 seconds remaining to snap a 3-3 tie.

The win for the Blues (34-27-5) moved them three points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild card in the Western Conference and two points behind the Nashville Predators for third place in the Central Division.

Edmundson took a pass from Bortuzzo and buried a wrist shot past John Gibson.

"Me and Bortuzzo did a little regrouping," Edmundson said. "He rushed it all the way down to the corner and we made eye contact. He just sauced it across the ice and I was lucky enough to bury it.

"I think there was a bit of traffic from our boys and that's what we've been working on, so I just put it home."

Bortuzzo moved the puck along the right wall, avoided the check of Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm before sliding a pass to Edmundson, who was able to corral it, turn and wire his shot high glove side.

Bortuzzo said Paul Stastny, who was driving the net, was telling him to keep the puck.

"I think I just saw some space," Bortuzzo said. "I think 'Stas' was yelling, 'skate it' as opposed to just ripping it up to a guy standing still. So I took the ice and we were able to squeak by and make a play.

"... Once I got by the guy, I saw that we had three forwards at the net. Their forwards collapsed, so I figured there would be a spot open and like I said, Eddy's good at finding those little pockets and made an incredible shot. So it was big for our team."

And a reason why Edmundson and Bortuzzo were even on the ice together was the Blues had to play the third period without defenseman Colton Parayko.

Parayko was checked behind the Blues' goal with roughly 43 seconds remaining by Patrick Eaves. The play looked innocent enough, and Parayko was on the bench for almost half the third period but never played.

"We knew we had five 'D' going into the third period, so we knew we had to step up our game," Edmundson said. "I think the five of us did a good job. We played a little bit bigger role than we're used to, so I think it's good for us and hopefully (Parayko) gets back sooner rather than later."

Stastny and Vladimir Tarasenko each had a goal and assist, and Jake Allen, who improved to 5-0-0 lifetime against the Ducks, made 23 saves for the Blues, who won their third straight. 

"We knew that we needed everybody tonight," Blues coach Mike Yeo said. "There was parts of our game as far as coming back home were better, there was parts of our game that still we can improve on, some of the mistakes, some of the areas were going good and then we had a little bit of a letdown or we get a little casual with our play. I thought we did a much better job getting to the net, getting pucks to the net tonight. I thought we were tougher to defend in that area."

Rickard Rakell had a goal and an assist, and Chris Wagner and Jakob Silfverberg scored for the Ducks (35-23-10). Gibson, who missed the past six games with a lower-body injury and was not expected to play, made 31 saves.

"To lose the game with under twenty seconds to go, it's very disappointing on the road," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "We battled back in the hockey game and coming off a back-to-back where last night in Chicago and coming in here, this is going to be a tough game. So that's extremely disappointing. We didn't really get any reward. Even a point would have been a big difference immensely for us." 

Tarasenko scored 12 seconds into the first period to give the Blues a 1-0 lead on a quick snap shot past a screened Gibson.

The Ducks scored twice after Tarasenko’s goal to take a 2-1 lead.

Rakell tied it 1-1 at 11:59 of the first. The Ducks challenged there was no goaltender interference after the initial call was waved off when Corey Perry interfered with Allen.

But the Ducks challenged contending Perry was pushed into the goalie, and replays confirmed he was shoved by Jori Lehtera, but Perry's stick in Allen's midsection played no role in keeping Allen from making the save on Rakell's shot.

"I think the first one was interesting," Yeo said. "I know Corey Perry quite well from the years and he does a pretty good job always of finding a way to get involved with the goalie somehow. I looked at the replay, and certainly he was pushed in, but it's hard to argue that one."

Wagner put Anaheim ahead 2-1 at 18:12 after Jared Boll's pass deflected in off Wagner's skate.

The play developed in the Anaheim zone before an outlet pass into the neutral zone allowed the Ducks to move freely before Dmitrij Jaskin allowed his man (Wagner) to get to the net while Bortuzzo and Carl Gunnarsson backed up in the play.

"The second one in particular, that was a coverage issue and a breakdown," Yeo said.  

Ryan Reaves tied it 2-2 off a rebound of a shot by Jaden Schwartz at 4:17 of the second period after Schwartz, who was a plus-4 along with Stastny, made a cut inside and was falling to the ice before getting a shot off while Reaves was on the doorstep to pounce on the rebound at the end of his shift.

"Yeah, we're trying to go to the dirty areas a little bit more, so create the turnover ... I was supposed to change, but I figured I'd go plant myself in front and hope they got it to me and (Schwartz) made a nice play," Reaves said. "... I was gassed. It was either going in, or I was changing real quick."

Stastny scored 25 seconds into the third period to put the Blues on top 3-2.

Stastny pulled a move out of Tarasenko's basket and made a nice cut to the middle of the ice before sliding a shot past Gibson.

The Blues had a chance to go up 4-2 when Reaves, making another play to the net, was awarded the first penalty shot of his career but couldn't convert when Gibson poke-checked Reaves' backhand attempt.

"Yeah, I was trying to go five-hole but no dice," Reaves said. "(Gibson) had a nice poke-check. Actually 'Hutts' (Blues backup goalie Carter Hutton) has been doing that to me all season, so I should have been ready for it. 

"The crowd was too loud, I was going to do the 'Peyton Manning' quiet down. There was too much going on for me, that's not my element."

Instead of going up two, the Ducks tied it with 10:36 remaining on Silfverberg's power-play goal that came as a result of the Blues' first too-many-men penalty under Yeo. They were synonymous for doing it under Ken Hitchcock.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

The Blues' Dmitrij Jaskin (23) tries to fend off Ducks defenseman Cam

Fowler from the puck on Friday night at Scottrade Center.

Lehtera took a puck off Edmundson's stick to the face late in the game but was able to return.

The game-winner was good for the Blues in many ways, especially since it can help alleviate the tough way of losing 2-1 to the Florida Panthers on a goal with 4.6 seconds left on Feb. 20.

"Yeah, it was nice to go get that one back obviously in the last couple of seconds," Reaves said. "Great play by 'Bobbo' and a nice shot by Eddie.

"... It's crunch time right now, push time for the playoffs. Obviously teams are chasing us, we're chasing other teams. We need to get as many two-point games as we can right now."

(3-10-17) Ducks-Blues Gameday Lineup

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- In the past five seasons, the Blues have played games in March pretty much knowing they were going to be part of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

These games in March, although they had meaning jockeying for position, the Blues (33-27-5) didn't have to play with the kind of urgency they do this year in March.

As they get set to host the Anaheim Ducks (35-22-10) today at 7 p.m. (FS-MW, KMOX 1120-AM), the Blues have a small grip on the second and final wild card spot in the Western Conference, by one point over the Los Angeles Kings. The Blues on the other hand, also trail the Nashville Predators by four points for third in the Central Division. The Blues have a game in hand on LA and two in hand on the Predators.

"We were so fortunate the last couple years," said goalie Jake Allen, who gets the start tonight. "We got such a big lead by Christmas, we were pretty much solidified by Christmas. Now it's a completely different story, a story that we haven't been in the last 3-4 years. 

"We're fighting to get in right now. That's the ultimate goal. We'll worry about the playoffs once we get in. Right now, we're fighting for that No. 8 spot and anything can happens in the playoffs, but right now, we're just focused on getting points. LA's right there, Nashville's right there too. And obviously last night, probably the worst possible outcome for us, but we have no control over that. We're just trying to get as many points as we can. If we win 8-7 and get a win, then that's all that matters."

With 17 games remaining, the Blues know from here on out, it's almost a do-or-die scenario and each point is critical at this juncture. Just ask them how much one point in a game like the one they lost with 4.6 seconds left against Florida would mean right now.

"The last couple years at this point of the season, we're kind of waiting to get to the playoffs; we put ourselves in a different spot," captain Alex Pietrangelo said. "I like it. I like the challenge. I like the opportunity for a lot of people to step up here. We're trying to play our best hockey to lead us into the playoffs, which is always a good thing. It's even easier to rise up to the challenge now in the position that we are. We know we've got a good chance here with the way we're playing now. Obviously we want to be in a different spot, but we'll rise to that challenge.

"We all know where we are. I'd be lying if I said we weren't looking. We know where we are in the standings. I think you kind of get that feel in the locker room before games that every game's important; it doesn't matter who we're playing. Eastern Conference, Western Conference, this is an opportunity to really put ourselves in a good spot here in the next couple weeks."

Scoreboard watching is a norm for players, even if they say they don't pay attention to it. The worst-case scenario Thursday was for the Kings and Predators to go into overtime and play the proverbial three-point game.

"You've got to help yourself first, but obviously it's just a natural tendency," Allen said. "We're all going to watch the scores. We're not oblivious to reality. We know what's going on around us. I think you need to have that sense of urgency, especially in our game, too. This next stretch here, I think is our toughest stretch to end the season, so this is going to be a real test for us and see where we can go.

"We've just got to find a way to get points. We're not used to not being in the playoffs here. It definitely would be a disappointment if we didn't make it. We're all focused; we're going to make the playoffs. We've got not many games left, but we still have a good chance to get in and even move up, so it will be nice."

The one silver lining to fighting right now is that those teams that do get in as a seven- or eight-seed, they have momentum and are playing well.

Just ask the Blues, who lost to a very hot Minnesota team in 2015 when the Wild had to play playoff-like hockey from January on, and the Kings, who won a Stanley Cup in 2012 as an eight seed than played themselves in at the end.

"Teams that fight their way in the seven, eight spot, usually you have been winning games prior to the playoffs, either winning a stretch of games or a chunk of games," Allen said. "You're right, carry that play into the playoffs and go from there. I'm confident in this group once we get into the playoffs that we can do some damage. It's just right now, I don't think think too far forward. Just focus on getting in, catching these teams ahead of us and keeping the ones behind us out of play."

Blues coach Mike Yeo was leading the Wild in their charge in 2015 and knows what it means.

"For us right now, we're battling to get in," Yeo said. "I've been a part of teams and the one thing you can do is it makes it tough, you have to be at your best every night but part of that is that it sharpens your game, too. If indeed you get into the playoffs, then you're on top of your game and you're ready to go.

"Those teams that we're battling with are going to win hockey games. That's why we can't hope our way into the playoffs. We have to win hockey games, we have to get points and in order to do that, we have to concentrate on our game and get prepared. Obviously a good test today. Our mindset should be coming home and making sure that we play a real strong game at home. That's something we haven't done enough of."

- - -

The Blues, who host the Ducks and New York Islanders on Saturday before hitting the west coast road swing for five games, want to improve their mark on Scottrade Center ice.

Since Dec. 17, the Blues are 4-10-1 on Scottrade Center ice after starting the season 13-1-2 here.

"Every one of them has been very winnable, but there's too many points in a game where we crack, whether it's a big opportunity we give up or a large period of time where we don't have a push back in our game," Yeo said. "I think on the road, we handled the ups and downs better. The last game was a good example of that."

- - -

The Blues will stick with the same lineup that played in a 2-1 win against the Wild on Tuesday, which means forwards Ivan Barbashev, Zach Sanford and Nail Yakupov along with defenseman Jordan Schmaltz will be healthy scratches.

With games being of utmost importance, Yeo is sticking with a veteran lineup and has no real plan for the young kids at this point.

"In all honesty, we don't have a plan. A week out, we don't have a plan," Yeo said. "All I'm saying is we're just going day to day right now, we're making sure we're doing everything we can to make sure that they're part of the group and make sure that they're getting the work in practice that they need so when they get into the lineup, they're ready to go."

- - -

The Blues' projected lineup:

Jaden Schwartz-Paul Stastny-Vladimir Tarasenko

Alexander Steen-Patrik Berglund-David Perron

Dmitrij Jaskin-Jori Lehtera-Magnus Paajarvi

Scottie Upshall-Kyle Brodziak-Ryan Reaves

Jay Bouwmeester-Alex Pietrangelo

Joel Edmundson-Colton Parayko

Carl Gunnarsson-Robert Bortuzzo

Jake Allen will start in goal; Carter Hutton will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Nail Yakupov, Zach Sanford, Ivan Barbashev and Jordan Schmaltz. Robby Fabbri (knee) is out for the season. 

- - -

The Ducks' projected lineup:

Rickard Rakell-Ryan Getzlaf-Patrick Eaves

Andrew Cogliano-Ryan Kesler-Jakob Silfverberg

Ondrej Kase-Nate Thompson-Corey Perry

Logan Shaw-Chris Wagner-Jared Boll

Cam Fowler-Sami Vatanen 

Hampus Lindholm-Josh Manson

Brandon Montour-Kevin Bieksa

Jonathan Bernier could start after making 43 saves in a 1-0 shutout of the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday; Jhonas Enroth, who could start, would be the backup. 

Korbinian Holzer is expected to be the healthy scratch. John Gibson (lower body), Clayton Stoner (lower body), Simon Despres (upper body) and Nick Ritchie (upper body) are out. Antoine Vermette will serve the final game of a 10-game suspension.

(3-10-17) BLUES NOTEBOOK

Blues keeping pucks out of their net at league-best pace; Yeo 

had thoughts elsewhere; Schmaltz debut; increased shot volume

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- It's been quite a run since Mike Yeo took over as coach of the Blues on Feb. 1.

The Blues are allowing 1.73 goals per game in 15 games since Yeo took over, winning nine of them. 

Throw in the fact that three of them were empty-netters and one was of the fluke variety against Minnesota Tuesday with 11 seconds remaining, the numbers could be a lot stingier.

The goals-against is tops on the NHL as is the save percentage for Jake Allen and Carter Hutton, which is .951 as a unit.

"We're playing a little tighter in the middle of the D-zone," Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said. "I think we're taking care of the front of the net a little better. We're playing tighter as a five-man unit. We're still not giving up big opportunities. Shot totals may be up a bit, but the chances aren't the quality they were before.

"If we're giving up shots from the outside on the rush or point shots with no one in front, we're not OK with it, but it's better than giving up what we gave up before, which was less shots but the chances were much higher. Jake will make the first save, and then it's on us to kind of clear away and make sure there's no second opportunity."

Allen and Hutton are making the saves they're supposed to make, and the skaters in front of them are eliminating the high-percentage looks teams were getting earlier in the season.

"The high quality and second chances has obviously been a big emphasis on us defensemen to clear the front of the net and not let those guys get those sticks in there," Pietrangelo said. "If Jake and 'Hutts' don't handle the shot, that leaves the second opportunity."

Hutton has a .989 save-percentage and Jake Allen is at .941. The Blues were dead-last in the league (.879) when the coaching change, which included goalie coach Jim Corsi, was made.

"Both goalies, 'Hutts' and Jake, have both been outstanding," Yeo said. "I look at last game for Jake, one of the things that impressed me most is I thought we defended well. Minnesota did a good job. They played smart in terms of trying to throw as many pucks to the net as possible and trying to create offense off that. Our 'D' did an outstanding job of tying guys up and letting him see pucks, but more importantly, Jake controlled every one of those rebounds. Jake just made easy, routine saves that if he wasn't on his game, it would have made for some chaotic situations."

Yeo said he hasn't paid attention to where the numbers are.

"We're trying not to look at everything as a whole right now," Yeo said. "Just for me, there's two areas of focus. It's our last game, it's what we did well and what we want to repeat. And the second (and) obviously the most important is we've got to have that translate to a home game now. Even the last home game that we won against Vancouver, it wasn't a particularly strong game. I think part of that is just recognizing that it's going to be a very hard game. 

"Everybody's dialed things up. Home ice, the energy of the crowd, that's still relative but teams at this point of the season, they're used to dealing with that and teams are not going to get pushed out of games because games are too important. We've got to be ready to play -- as cliche as it is -- a full 60 minutes and we have to make sure that we're doing all the little things."

* Anxious dad -- Yeo was quick to do his post practice interview, going in front of the players on Thursday with good reason.

Yeo was on his way home to stream the Minnesota AA high school state hockey championship tournament, where son Kyler was participating at Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild.

Kyler, a senior at Hill-Murray High School, faced Moorhead at 1 p.m. Friday. Mike Yeo headed home to stream the game.

"I'm just a nervous dad," Yeo said. "The scouting report we're working on is obviously for our game tomorrow (against the Anaheim Ducks), but there will be some tense moments this afternoon I'm sure."

Those tense moments turned sad unfortunately as Morehead defeated Hill-Murray 4-2.

* Staple win -- Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Wild was what the doctor ordered for the Blues, who came home for a cup of coffee with back-to-back home games Friday against the Ducks and Saturday against the New York Islanders.

Now the question for the Blues (33-27-5), who led the Los Angeles Kings by three points for the second wild card in the Western Conference and three behind the Nashville Predators for third place in the Central Division, can they follow it up?

"We've shown that we can do it," Yeo said. "Now we have to show that we can do it consistently. It should provide us with some confidence, it should provide a little bit of a blueprint in terms of the way that we play the game, the approach that we have from the drop of the puck. It's nice that we did that, it's nice to have that in the bank, but it's what we do going forward now. We can use that, but we have to make sure that we get the job done and for me ... you can never guarantee results, but you can guarantee yourself a real strong performance and that comes from your preparation and when you do that, then you give yourself obviously a great chance.

"... We've earned a position where we control our own destiny right now. We can't hope our way into the playoffs, we can't hope other teams are gonna lose. We've got to win a lot of hockey games and we've got to get points along the way and if we do that, we'll be fine."

The Blues will play a stretch of games with the utmost importance, including this weekend's games against the Ducks and Islanders, who are jockeying for playoff position, before heading to the west coast, but a win against the Western Conference-leading Wild at this time of year can carry a lot of weight.

"They each have their own scenario and story, but I think the mentality that we had was excellent," Blues right wing David Perron said. "We played a complete game. We had the right intentions of shooting the puck and being at the net. In the NHL, every team wants to do the same thing. They want to outwork the other team, be smart and I think it comes down to details again."

* Shot volume -- The Blues have won two in a row ... on the heels of a five-game winning streak ... on the heels of a six-game winning streak, are glad to be cutting down their quality chances against but are looking for more shot volume of their own.

The Blues have typically been among the top teams regarding shots on goal per game but entering Thursday, are 27th at 27.6. Only Vancouver (27.5) and New Jersey (27.3) are worse.

And while the Blues are sixth in the NHL in shots against (28.2) per game, the shots for has them 16th in the NHL in goals per game at 2.72.

"It's just a proven fact that if you don't get shots to the net, then you're not gonna score goals," Yeo said. "There's two areas. We have to increase our shot totals on a nightly basis and we have to increase our traffic out of activity that we have around their net. We did a better job of that last game. We saw two goals like that (off traffic). Now we have to get more shots and if we do those things, then we'll get some more offense."

Yeo has a target of 30, and it's one in which the Blues have reached only five of 15 games since he took over, with a high of 40. The Blues are averaging 27.3 shots on goal per game during their 15 games since Yeo took over.

"I'd certainly like to be over 30 shots a game and in all honesty, I'd like to be much higher than that," Yeo said. You're feeling pretty good about your offensive game when you're getting 35 to 40 shots. Obviously, scoring chances is something that we put the greatest emphasis on, but we just know that as far as creating offense is concerned this time of year, you have to get more shots."

The Blues know it's an area that can certainly improve.

"That's definitely one part where we can get slightly better at," said Perron, who scored the Blues' first goal Tuesday. "When you're up a goal against a good team like that, it's probably natural that you're gonna keep making sure you're playing a complete game. I thought we were excellent in that regard. Sometimes it's just going to lower your shot total. I think in the third, we didn't get many shots. That's a big reason. Certainly we'd like to have 12-15 shots every period, I'm not sure that's the reality when you're up 2-0. At that point, you want to make sure you're over their guy and that can take away from your offense. ... The mentality has to be there to shoot the puck."

* Schmaltz debut -- Blues defenseman Jordan Schmaltz, their 2012 first-round pick, made his Blues debut Sunday in a 3-0 win at Colorado.

Schmaltz was on the ice for both Blues goals, was a plus-1 in the game in 15 minutes, 7 seconds of ice time and had two hits in the game.

Nothing flashy, nothing splashy. Just a simple debut.

"That's an ideal first game there," Schmaltz said. "You just try and keep things in front of you, keep the puck going north. Don't overextend your shifts and just kind of play within yourself and just kind of build from there, I guess.

"Just like every level you go up things happen quicker. Guys are stronger, I think you have to be more alert. But other than that, it's a hockey game. You're just out there trying to play within yourself, keep it simple, don't try and do too much. ... Not every game's perfect. I think a couple times I went east-west when I should have just went north. But yeah, when there's plays like that, you just remind yourself, 'Hey, that was nothing bad that happened there, but let's keep this thing going north and keep it simple.'"

Schmaltz, who was recalled on March 2, has played in just one of three games but is soaking up the NHL experience.

"It's the same attitude," Schmaltz said. "You've got to approach every game that you get in the same way and just try to build from there."

Yeo liked Schmaltz's game against the Avalanche but seems geared towards using veteran blueliners as games take on so much importance.

"It's not an easy situation," Yeo said. "I was thinking about him after the game. We hold a team meeting, a pretty strong team meeting, the day before his first game in the NHL. He comes into an high-pressure environment against a team that's playing kind of loose and kind of reckless and I thought he handled it very, very well.

"He got better as the game went on. I would say that he played a good game. You can see the poise in his game, you can see his puck presence, you can see how he can help us execute."

* Team photo day -- The Blues took their annual team pictures before practice on Thursday, and there were plenty of smiles to go around.

But once they got back to work, lines were consistent with the ones that played Tuesday sans Jaden Schwartz, who was absent from practice. Yeo said he was given a maintenance day and is fine, so Ivan Barbashev took Schwartz's spot on the top line with Paul Stastny and Vladimir Tarasenko.

"We were able to stay with our lines because we had everybody going," Yeo said. "It certainly helps when you grab the lead in the game. But I think role-wise, everybody had a good sense of what we needed from them and they were doing a good job."

Included in team pics was second-year forward Robby Fabbri, who is out for the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 4.

"He looks fine to me," Yeo joked. "(The knee is) a long way from the heart."

Thompson ready to take next step in hockey career

Blues' 2016 first-round pick called turning pro "a gut 

feeling" after leaving University of Connecticut after two seasons

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- Tage Thompson called the past two seasons spent playing for the University of Connecticut "two of the best years of my life."

But the Blues' 19-year-old 2016 first-round draft pick is ready to take the next stage in his advancement.

That means becoming a pro and foregoing the final two years of his college eligibility since the Huskies were eliminated from the Hockey East playoffs this past Saturday by Northeastern.

Tage Thompson

Thompson signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Blues on Tuesday beginning with the 2017-18 season, but he will report to the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves immediately and play out the rest of the season there.

"It's kind of just a gut feeling," the 6-foot-5, 200-pound center iceman said by phone Wednesday. "Between St. Louis telling me that they really wanted me out, that they were really excited having me after my sophomore season and me just sitting down with my dad, my advisor and feeling out what was best for me, we all agreed that it was probably the best situation for me to finish out the season in Chicago and get my feet wet in the pro game and kind of get some confidence. That way heading into training camp, I've got a little confidence and that experience is just going to help me hopefully make it right out of camp."

Thompson is the son of former NHLer and former AHL coach of the Blues' farm club the Peoria Rivermen (2005-09), Brent Thompson, who played 121 NHL games for the Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets and Phoenix Coyotes; he currently coaches the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL.

"It's a really comfortable feeling, too, because he's obviously went through it and he's not going to put me through a situation where he doesn't think I'm going to succeed," Tage Thompson said of his dad. "It's a very comfortable feeling knowing that he's on board with my decision and he actually agrees with it and supports me. It made that decision a lot easier."

Thompson just wrapped up his second season with the Huskies and had 19 goals and 13 assists in 34 games after a freshman season that had him tally 14 goals and 18 assists in 36 games.

Thompson said he'll look back on his life as Huskie with pride but the time was right to make the move.

"It honestly was probably two of the best years of my life," Thompson said. "It was a really big piece of my development, being able to come in and playing against older guys and it helped me physically mature and mentally mature, which is ultimately going to help me take the next step to the pro game that much easier just because of having that base of playing against older guys. It's going to help the transition."

Thompson was also part of the USA World Junior squad that won a gold medal in Montreal in January where he had a goal and four assists in seven games.

"One of the greatest moments of my life," Thompson said. "I'm sure every kid grows up watching that tournament hoping and dreaming that they can play in it one day. You watch some of the games growing up and you're like, 'Wow! I want to play in that US-Canada game someday.' For it to finally happen and for us to win gold in Canada, in Montreal, playing against Canada was a surreal feeling and it was literally like a movie. It's going to be a memory that's going to stay with me for the rest of my life for sure. It's such a rewarding feeling doing it with that group of guys."

Thompson said he's had trouble putting on weight on his tall, lanky frame but has added 15 pounds since he attended Blues' developmental camp last summer and had improved his coordination on skates.

"I think I grew with my skating quite a bit in a short period of time, which can fill out your coordination," Thompson said. 'For me, it was spending that time on my skating, just getting back into the groove of things after that awkward stage once you've grown three or four inches in a short period of time. Just getting my feet back under me and my strength I think was a big thing. I'm really tall and lanky, so for me, it's hard to put on weight, but I'm just trying to focus on getting as strong as possible. Eventually the weight's going to come. I'm not worried about that. That's something that comes with age and as you physically mature and develop."

Thompson comes to Chicago this season technically on an amateur contract so as to not burn a year of his entry-level deal away. And he'll join the Wolves in the thick of a Calder Cup playoff race.

Blues 2016 No. 1 pick Tage Thompson helped the United
States World Junior team capture the gold medal this year.

The Wolves entered play Wednesday with a 35-17-4 record, good for second place in the Central Division and two points behind front-runner Grand Rapids.

"I'm extremely excited to come into a team that's doing really well and has got a good chance going into the playoffs," Thompson said. "I'm really excited to be a part of that. Hopefully I can help them win the Calder Cup here. I'm really, really excited and I can't explain it enough. That's also one of the reasons why I wanted to finish out the year in Chicago to get that experience and that playing time, that pro experience under my belt. 

"Obviously I want to go in and make an impact, but my goal is to play in the NHL as long as possible and for that, you need to develop. I think for me the best development path is going to be going to Chicago, playing and helping them win. In doing that, it's going to help me showcase what I can do and ultimately hopefully get me to the NHL."

Blues need Schwartz to find scoring touch

Pesky winger has just four goals in past 

36 games, scored in seven of past 45 games

By LOU KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- When his shot hit the underside of the cross bar, bounced straight down and away from the goal line, it was a fitting few seconds that told the story of Jaden Schwartz's past 36 games.

Schwartz is in a goal-scoring funk, and it's no secret it coincides with the Blues' recent four-game slide in which the team has scored a grand total of six games.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Blues left wing Jaden Schwartz moves the puck up ice in a recent game in

Toronto. Schwartz has scored just four goals the past 36 games.

And even though Schwartz, who the Blues signed to a five-year, $26.75 million contract this past off-season and locking up one of their core members through 2021, it signified a move that the Blues were making a commitment to one of their two 2010 first-round draft picks (Vladimir Tarasenko being the other).

Schwartz has scored 14 goals on the season in 58 games, but only four of them have come in the past 36, and if one includes the past 45 games, Schwartz has scored in seven of them, which equates to 15.5 percent of those games.

"There's obviously games where you're getting a lot of chances and others where you're not getting as many," said Schwartz, who is earning $5.25 million in salary this season and will make $5.5 million, $6.25 million, $5.75 million and $4 million moving forward. "If you're finding ways to create and you're in on other guys' goals, that's a good feeling. But obviously, when the puck's not going in, you're hitting sticks or posts. 

"It's obviously frustrating. Guys go through it at different times of the year, but you've just got to find a way to try and get better at it. You don't want to think about it too much and overthink it. I'll try and get out of it and start putting the puck in the net a little bit more and get that good feeling back."

In back-to-back seasons of 2013-14 and 2014-15, Schwartz scored a total of 53 goals in 155 games (25 and 28, respectively), and coming off those seasons, the Blues were banking on Schwartz to be at that consistent level moving forward. After all, he's only 24 years old.

But since his career-high 28 goals in 2014-15, Schwartz has just 22 (including eight in a season cut short to 33 games a season ago because of a gruesome ankle injury) in 91 games.

But maybe the last game, a 2-1 loss to Edmonton, gave a glimpse of just what Schwartz needs: quality scoring chances.

During this rut, there were minimal times where Schwartz was even a factor at scoring and not being in prime scoring areas. But Tuesday's loss provided scoring opportunities that simply didn't go in, and coach Mike Yeo hopes that's something Schwartz can build on.

"I had a lot of chances. I should have scored on a few," Schwartz said. "If those go in, it could have been a different outcome, so obviously it's frustrating. That's the way it goes sometimes, but sometimes when you're thinking about it too much, you find yourself waiting too long, guys end up getting in the lane. I think when you're just playing with your instincts and working and going out there and playing, that's when things usually happen. The last game was good, but you've got to find a way to put it in the back of the net."

And it all happened with the reunion of the "STL Line" with Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera, which has had ample amounts of success in the past.

"I think that he had a real good response last game," Yeo said of Schwartz. "We changed the lines and with that, he had four quality scoring chances the last game. For me as a coach, you obviously like to make a switch and then have the instant results, but as fr as I'm concerned, if he plays the game like that and continues to play like that, then the results will come. For me, it's a matter of staying with it. His work ethic has to be noticeable on a nightly basis because he drives our team when he does that and he creates offense for himself when he does that. He finds himself in great positions. Hitting the post on the one, being in all alone on their goalie in the third period. As far as I'm concerned, if he plays another game like that, then he'll get rewarded."

But Schwartz, who has 24 assists on the season, has attempted 121 shots, which is a little more than two per game. It doesn't sound like a lot, and those numbers can certainly improve, but as long as he's doing all the other things, like digging pucks off the walls, being defensively sound and constantly being a puck hound, it will resonate to other areas.

"I think other parts of the game have been good, whether it's been takeaways or forechecks or creating for other guys," Schwartz said. "I don't know how many assists or whatever you have in the last amount of games, but I feel like we're getting a lot of chances. Whether the pucks go in or not, I try not to gauge my game. Obviously it's a better feeling, you get a little bit more confidence when the puck's going in. I feel like other parts of the game have been pretty solid."

What Yeo felt like was perhaps a breakthrough Tuesday was Schwartz's ability to get shots quickly to the net rather than looking for what he termed "the perfect shot." And when one looks for the perfect shot, that's when they start squeezing sticks.

"That happens. Most players are streaky players and that's because they don't think about it," Yeo said. "The one conversation that we've had with 'Schwartzy' for me, the one where he hit the post is actually a great example of it, I felt for a period of time here -- and it happens to a lot of players -- when you don't score goals, quite often you start looking for the perfect shot. That one he hit the post (Tuesday) night, he just got it off quick. For me, a quick shot doesn't need to be a perfect shot. That's easier said than done. When you're scoring goals, you're feeling good. You want to just keep shooting pucks because it's been going in. When it hasn't been going in, you hang onto it a little longer and the next thing you know, the goalie's come out, he's challenged a little farther, guys are getting sticks on pucks and denying your shot attempt. He's just got to try and get as many shots as can and continue to play with that effort and that tenacity that he had last game."

Being bounced around from line to line has had an affect on Schwartz's game, too. Whether he's playing with Paul Stastny and Alexander Steen, or on Patrik Berglund's line with David Perron or whoever has been on the right side to at times playing with Lehtera and Tarasenko with limited success this season, Yeo seems to be -- for the time being -- intent on keeping that trio together to give all of them a spark since they've obviously shown a penchant for chemistry in the past.

"We had a good game last game," Schwartz said. "That's (the coaches) job. You look at whether it's me, 'Stas' and Steen playing good but we were losing games, so we had to switch that up and then me and 'Bergy' were going good together and losing games, so you've got to switch that and other guys the same way. Obviously we're going to do our part just to stay together and help the team win, but it's not our decision at the end of the day. Obviously we have chemistry from playing with each other the last couple years. We kind of know where each other are.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

The Blues are looking for more celebrations from Jaden Schwartz (left)

like this one when he scored twice against Montreal on Dec. 6.

"... I don't really think about that. I've got to do my job no matter who I'm playing with. Obviously when you look at the lines this year, you've got chemistry with guys but you're losing games and you've got to find ways to switch it. That's the coach's decision. Our job is to win games. Even if you are clicking and you're losing, you've got to switch things up to win games. You have a lot of different linemates throughout the season. It's not something I'm not used to, but I've got to just stick to my game no matter who I'm playing with."

Starting on Friday against the Jets would be a good place to start, not only for Schwartz but for the Blues, who are trying to end a four-game losing streak.

"There's ups and downs during the year," said Schwartz, whose 38 points are third on the team this season behind Tarasenko (56) and Steen (39). "Obviously everyone wants to be at their best on a consistent level throughout the season, but it hasn't happened. There's been dips in our game, but I think it's more of a team game than anything. ... We've just got to learn from what's gone on and you try to put it together for these 20 games, go on a good run here, and once playoffs start, we're going to do everything we can to get into the playoffs. Once we get there, it's anyone's game. That's got to be our focus."

(3-3-17) BLUES NOTEBOOK

Sanford, Schmaltz practice for first time, are options for Friday; 

Paajarvi to stay in NHL; road warrior Blues; Perron, Jaskin available

By LOU KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- That tall, lanky 6-foot-4 frame that stepped onto the ice surface at St. Louis Mills' Ice Zone was one of two new faces for the Blues on Thursday.

Zach Sanford appeared with his new teammates for the first time since the Blues acquired the center on Monday from the Washington Capitals for defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk.

Sanford, who was wearing No. 82, the number given to him at his first developmental camp with the Capitals four years ago, played left wing on the third line with Patrik Berglund and Magnus Paajarvi.

"It was good," Sanford said. "It was a good pace and guys were working today because of a day off yesterday. It was good for me to have this as a first practice to get a little system work done, kind of just gel with the linemates and the rest of the team.

"Little faceoff plays here and there. The guys were helping me out with faceoff plays today that we were going through. They've been helpful so far, the guys and the coaches. If I just keep asking questions and listen to them, I'll be alright."

For the immediate time, Sanford, who had two goals and one assist in 26 games with Washington, will play the left wing.

"I know that he's played a lot of center and he could potentially end up getting to a center position for us, but if he comes in right now, that's where we would see him coming in," Blues coach Mike Yeo said of Sanford.

"You can see his size with that range and with that reach," Yeo added. "I guess the thing that impressed that I would say today was his puck work. He's got some hands, some puck controls, the ability to protect the puck and some abilities to make some plays in tight.

"Get to know our way of playing, our system, our team game, get familiar with the group and show us what you can do."

Yeo wouldn't comment whether Sanford will make his Blues debut Friday when they open a three-game road trip against the Winnipeg Jets, but Sanford, who said he tries to model his game after that of Toronto Maple Leafs' James van Riemsdyk, is ready when called upon.

"I've played a little bit of everything this year. Left side's where I spent most of my time. I'm pretty comfortable there," Sanford said. "It's been a crazy couple days, but finally to get out on the ice with the guys and get things going, it kind of really settles everything down. I'm excited to get on the road here and getting into a game hopefully. I'm just real excited right now.

"I think I can bring some speed and some size. I play a pretty good game down low. This team's built a lot around that with some bigger guys. I feel I can just help add to that."

* Schmaltz recalled -- Defenseman Jordan Schmaltz, the Blues' first-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, was also on the ice after playing for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

Schmaltz, who had three goals and 22 assists in 42 games with the Wolves this season, likely comes in as the seventh defenseman to start the season.

It's his first recall this season after being recalled last season and practiced but never played; he's yet to make his NHL debut.

"Yeah, it's exciting for sure," Schmaltz said. "There's a good situation down there with Craig Berube, but any time you get to come to the big leagues it's always nice.

"... For me, my play will probably dictate (when Schmaltz plays). Just trying to come in here and when I get my chance, make the most of it."

Yeo worked Schmaltz in with the third defensive pairing with Joel Edmundson and Robert Bortuzzo; he worked the point on the second power play unit with Colton Parayko, Berglund, Sanford and Jori Lehtera.

"The first thing for us was to get him into a practice and a good chance to talk to him and go through the systems, which are very similar to what they've been doing in Chicago, so that'll be an easy transition for him," Yeo said. "He had a real strong camp and I was very impressed with his puck-moving, with his poise. That's the way the game is being played in a lot of ways right now. As far as defensemen, there's a time where you're in your zone or you're defending against the rush and you have to be real strong and you have to defend with a good stick and be strong 1-on-1. But much of the game is about how you execute and how you help your team get on the attack. He's a guy that should help us out in that regard.

"I'm anxious to get him into the lineup. Whether that's tomorrow, whether it isn't. That will be determined tomorrow, but we will see him soon."

When Schmaltz makes his Blues debut, he will join younger brother Nick, who toils for the Chicago Blackhawks and makes for easier navigation for parents Mike and Lisa.

"He's doing well," Jordan said of his brother. "It's awesome to see. I don't know if you caught the game last night, but a couple nice passes. I don't get to see him a whole lot, but last week I went to his game against Arizona. He scored his first shift; it was his birthday, so that's pretty cool. We've got us two playing (in Chicago) and my sister (Kylie) playing volleyball at Kentucky. They're all over the place.

"... Obviously you want to play. If I get my chance, you've just got to be prepared and make the most of it."

* Paajarvi to remain with Blues -- The Blues announced on Wednesday that forward Magnus Paajarvi will remain with the Blues for the remainder of the season.

It's quite the change for Paajarvi, who has put up quite the frequent flier miles or wearing the tires out on his vehicle making the trek up and down Interstate 55 between St. Louis and Chicago.

Paajarvi, who has four goals, one assist in 14 games with the Blues this season, has scored three of those goals in nine games since being recalled in early February.

"It's awesome to get to know," Paajarvi said. "I still know I need to come to work every day. I still know that I need to go hard because if you let up, there's so many other players here still and there's a competition every day. I'm not taking anything for granted just because they said that. That's my approach, but it sure is nice to hear.

"I've got that opportunity to compete since I got here, really. There's still guys outside the team that are up here and want to play as well. Everybody works hard for it. Nothing's for granted even though they said I'm staying here for the rest of the season. My mindset is the same. I'm not taking a step down now or take it easy. I can't do that. I've got to take a step forward. That's my mindset."

Paajarvi has had his ups and downs since being acquired from Edmonton along with a second-round pick in 2014 that the Blues parlayed into Ivan Barbashev for David Perron, but Paajarvi calls this his "best push so far with the Blues. I feel great, confidence is high and I know what to do on the ice a little bit more now."

Paajarvi, who had seven goals and 11 assists in 26 games with the Wolves this season, credits the coaching staff in Chicago for raising his confidence level.

"We had daily talks with Craig Berube, Darryl Sydor and Daniel Tkaczuk, they've all been great," Paajarvi said. "Every player respects them and they're on the same page as everybody and they've really come in nicely. They've helped me tons. They've told me all the time, 'We're trying to get you back up there. We're going to work for it and we have.' That's always nice to hear."

Now Paajarvi hopes to help the Blues lead to a playoff push.

"We've got a deep team," he said. "We're a good team and we know that. We can really push for it here. We're aiming for playoffs, absolutely no doubt even though we lost to a key player (Shattenkirk). That's even more opportunity for other guys to fill in. Chicago Wolves guys have come in and done well I think. Nothing really on the outside with trades and all that. It's one goal now and we should still strive for the same things."

* On the road again -- The Blues begin their March schedule in customary fashion, on the road.

The Missouri Valley Conference Tournament takes up residence at Scottrade Center the first weekend in March, and in two weeks, the NCAA Wrestling Championships will commence in St. Louis, so the Blues will play 10 of their 15 March games away from hope, so the Blues (31-26-5), who led the Los Angeles Kings by one point heading into Thursday action for the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference, know they'll have to be good away from home.

"I would say every game is a big game right now," Yeo said. "Obviously, we've got to rectify what's going on. We can't just say, 'Hey, we're close here.'We need results, we need points, we need wins. I think that every game that we play right now from here on out is massive. We've got 20 games left in the season and it's playoff hockey from here on out."

Losers of four straight, the Blues have had points in the balance in each loss but failed to get any of them. They've been outscored 11-6, but now that the trade deadline has come and gone, players know who they have and what the roster looks like for the rest of the season and can focus on the task at hand.

This trip will take the Blues to Colorado on Sunday and Minnesota on Tuesday where Yeo will coach for the first time officially since being fired by the Wild on Feb. 13, 2016.

"I'm not going to sit here and say that's why we haven't had success here lately either," Yeo said. "I'm not going to allow that to be an excuse for us, but that said, it is reality Sometimes it can be a little bit of a distraction, but we haven't no distractions now. We have no excuses. We have a group that's good enough to win in here and now we have to go out and do the job."

* Jaskin, Perron available -- Perron and fellow forward Dmitrij Jaskin, who were omissions from practice Thursday, will be available for the game against the Jets Friday.

Perron was in Montreal for a family matter and Yeo said he would join the team in Winnipeg, and Jaskin, who left midway through the third period of a 2-1 loss to Edmonton on Tuesday, is an option.

"He's OK," Yeo said of Jaskin. "He's feeling better today. He's a possibility tomorrow."

Blues stay quiet as deadline passes

Sanford arrives in St. Louis after acquisition 

from Capitals, ready to start fresh with new team

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- The NHL Trade Deadline came and went on Wednesday without nary a whimper for the Blues, who did nothing else leading up to the deadline to try and improve their slim hold on a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Blues, who are the second wild card in the Western Conference by one point over the Los Angeles Kings, only altered things last week when they extended the contract of center Patrik Berglund for five more seasons at $19.25 million, then traded away all-star defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and minor league goalie Pheonix Copley for draft picks, center Zach Sanford and veteran winger Brad Malone.

Zach Sanford

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said on Saturday the Blues weren't in the market for rentals and didn't close the door on making any changes but chances were the Blues were only faced with a decision on Shattenkirk, which proved to be the outcome.

And with that decision came the 22-year-old Sanford, a second-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft who has two goals and one assist in 26 NHL games for the Capitals -- all this season. 

The Auburn, New Hampshire native put up 11 goals and five assists in 25 games for the Capitals' American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears after spending two seasons at Boston College.

The 6-foot-4, 203-pound Sanford arrived in St. Louis prior to the Blues' game against the Edmonton Oilers and will be on the ice when they practice Thursday ahead of a three-game trip to Winnipeg, Colorado and Minnesota.

"It's been kind of (a) crazy (24 hours)," Sanford said.

Sanford was in New York Monday with the Capitals preparing for a game Tuesday against the Rangers when he heard his name in trade talk.

"I had just got back from dinner," Sanford said. "Some rumors were going around, so I kind of decided I had to get to the bottom of it and finally I got the call that I was coming to St. Louis.

"At first being a young guy, maybe some of the wrong thoughts were going through my head. I think taking some time to settle down, take a step back and look at it and the Blues must have really wanted me. It's a good opportunity for me coming here. I'm really excited to step in and hopefully be able to help the club out."

Sanford said the trade caught him by surprise.

"I had no clue," he said. "... I kind of didn't believe it at first. I think St. Louis is a team in the hunt for the playoffs. They're another really strong team. For me to come here, it's a good opportunity for me to hopefully get some minutes, get some playing time and produce for the team."

Armstrong compared having Sanford alongside of 2016 first-round pick Tage Thompson, who is 6-5 himself, as having two big center icemen bring groomed for the future.

"Obviously I'm a big guy," Sanford said. "I like to play with some size down low and protect the puck. I can make some plays around the net, whether at center or wing. I've gotten a lot better defensively than the past few years and I think that's becoming a much more important part of my game."

Sanford, who said he doesn't know anyone on the current Blues roster, got some advice from a familiar face before heading to St. Louis.

"He was a huge help for me when I was there and then when he found out that I was coming here, he had a lot of great things to say about some of the guys here and the organization," Sanford said about former Blue T.J. Oshie. "He said, 'Don't worry about it. You're going to a great place, a great city with a great team and great fans, so just be excited.'"

Sanford has had three stints with the Capitals, and in his latest one, he scored in back-to-back games immediately upon being recalled.

"It's kind of been up and down. I got some games in early," Sanford said. "It was a tough start with one assist. I think some time down in Hershey for me was huge getting some touches and putting up some points. Coming up the last four or five games, I felt a lot more comfortable and playing with a lot more confidence.

(Washington Capitals  photo)

Zach Sanford (left) battles for a loose puck in a game against the New York

Rangers earlier this season. The Blues acquired Sanford on Monday.

"St. Louis is fighting for a spot and everyone here believes that we can make a push for the Cup. That's ultimately the end goal, so hopefully I'll be able to help out with that."

Sanford wants to just be himself and hopes he doesn't have to live up to the popular billing that Shattenkirk left behind.

"I guess there's a little bit of pressure there," said Sanford, who will wear No. 82. "Being a part of a trade for a player like him. Obviously he's a great player and he's been here for a while and become a fan favorite. As long as I can stick to my game and work as hard as I can, I think all that will stay on the backburner."

* NOTES -- The Blues recalled defenseman Jordan Schmaltz from the Chicago Wolves on Wednesday.

Schmaltz, the Blues' first round pick (25th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft, has three goals and 22 assists in 42 games with the Wolves this season, his second in the AHL, after having six goals and 30 assists in 71 games with the Wolves a season ago.