By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- The Blues open a four-game homestand against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday (7 p.m.; FS-MW, ESPN 101.1-FM) riding a three-game losing streak but getting some good news on the injury front.
Forward Oskar Sundqvist has been activated off injured-reserve and will return after missing the past six games with a lower-body, sustained against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 27.
To make room for Sundqvist, Nathan Walker was assigned to San Antonio of the American Hockey League.
Sundqvist's return is good news for a Blues team searching for some healthy bodies. He scored two goals against the Lightning in a 4-3 win and is tied for third on the team with eight.
"He had 14, 15 (goals) last year and that's with a little bit of power play time, but not on a consistent basis," Blues coach Craig Berube said of Sundqvist, who is expected to start on the fourth line with Jacob de la Rose and Mackenzie MacEachern. "I think that he is the type of guy that's going to get that many goals, that range of goals. Maybe more, you never know. It's all hard work and being aggressive. That's his game. He wills his way there and wills his way to scoring goals.
"He's a good player obviously, 200-foot player for us. He was scoring for us before he got hurt. He does a lot of good stuff for us, penalty kill. He just makes whatever line he goes on better. That's what he does."
There was some hope that Alexander Steen (high ankle sprain) and Zach Sanford (upper body) could return tonight, but they will not. Both skaters were on the ice for an optional morning skate and could return Saturday.
"Hopefully Saturday but we'll see," Berube said.
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The Blues have lost three straight in regulation for the first time since Nov. 17-21, 2018 and are looking to avoid their first four-game losing streak since going 0-6-1 Feb. 11-27, 2018.
"We haven't finished the way we wanted to and we have a chance to regroup at home and to get back on track," Blues center Ryan O'Reilly said. "It's a big opportunity for us and we look forward to it."
Berube said he wants to see the Blues with more compete around the nets tonight, particularly on the offensive side.
"Both nets are important tonight," he said. "We have to get to the net more offensively. Our D are shooting a ton of pucks and we're not at the net enough for tips and rebounds and things like that. I'm looking for us to get to the net a lot more tonight. You have to get traffic on [Marc-Andre] Fleury if he's playing. We've got to get some goals that way. We're not creating enough second and third opportunities around the net. So that's one area we can be a lot better. The other area is our net, cleaning up second and third opportunities the other way. We're there but we're not. We've got to get into people more at our net and be heavier at our net and not allow second or third opportunities. They go to the net, they've got guys who are big players and go to the net. We're going to have to be strong there. Both nets are huge tonight."
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The round of former Blues coming to town includes Paul Stastny and Ryan Reaves, both members of the Blues once upon a time and past players that were glad for friends to win a Stanley Cup.
Stastny is close friends with a number of current Blues players, particularly Steen, Jaden Schwartz and Robert Bortuzzo, and kept in contact with them surprisingly during the Cup run.
"I was talking to them throughout the playoffs," Stastny said. "Once we were out, I was talking to them, whether it was Schwartzy or Bobbo or Steen, guys I'm really close with. Then I sent a text right away. I wasn't expecting a text back for at least three or four days. Some came back right away, some came back a week later, which is what was expected. You realize how hard it is. Some guys work so hard for it and never get there and obviously takes a lot of hard work, a lot of luck, so you're happy for some of those guys.
"It was bittersweet. You're happy for the city. Growing up a St. Louis fan and knowing the hardships the team went through, some of the times, like you knew the city was waiting for it. There are certain guys I was super-happy for just because I know how hard they worked. Not just on the ice but away from the rink, the kind of the battles that they went through, ups and downs, whether it was the year before or so many years before that."
The feeling was mutual for Reaves, as far as a bittersweet feeling is concerned.
"Bittersweet obviously. Happy for all the guys I played with, happy to see them win and lift the Cup. Happy for the city's first Stanley Cup in team history, but you never want to get traded from somewhere and them go win. It doesn't usually feel too good," Reaves said. "The city was thirsty for the win and they got it. I could only imagine it was a good time. I saw some videos, some pictures, it was fun. ... I text all the guys I played with and congratulated them for sure."
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The Blues' projected lineup:
Jaden Schwartz-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou
David Perron-Ryan O'Reilly-Tyler Bozak
Ivan Barbashev-Robert Thomas-Troy Brouwer
Mackenzie MacEachern-Jacob de la Rose-Oskar Sundqvist
Carl Gunnarsson-Alex Pietrangelo
Jay Bouwmeester-Colton Parayko
Vince Dunn-Justin Faulk
Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Jake Allen will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Robert Bortuzzo and Austin Poganski. Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder), Alexander Steen (ankle), Sammy Blais (wrist) and Zach Sanford (upper body).
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The Golden Knights' projected lineup:
Jonathan Marchessault-William Karlsson-Reilly Smith
Max Pacioretty-Chandler Stephenson-Mark Stone
Valentin Zykov-Paul Stastny-Alex Tuch
William Carrier-Tomas Nosek-Ryan Reaves
Brayden McNabb-Nate Schmidt
Nicolas Hague-Shea Theodore
Deryk Engelland-Nick Holden
Marc-Andre Fleury will start in goal; Malcolm Subban will be the backup.
The healthy scratch is expected to be Jon Merrill. Cody Glass (upper body) and Cody Eakin (upper body) are out.
Thursday, December 12, 2019
When Blues' D makes an impact on O, results are normally favorable
Aside from Pietrangelo, defenseman seem to be lacking as a whole providing
more offense this season; are they really far off pace from last season though
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Toting their first three-game regulation losing streak in 13 months, the Blues are searching for ways to figure out ways to nip it in the bud.
It's no misconception that goal scoring is down, and losing their leading goal scorer (Vladimir Tarasenko) would put the onus on others in the lineup to pick up the slack.
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is on pace to set career highs in goals,
assists and points this season.
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When thinking of goal scoring, one thinks of forwards, and for the Blues (18-8-6), now the attention turns to Ryan O'Reilly, Brayden Schenn, David Perron and Jaden Schwartz among others to pick up the slack.
Schenn (14 goals) and Perron (12) have done some of the heavy lifting thus far, far outweighing where they'll end up this season compared to last. O'Reilly (six goals) and Schwartz (eight) could definitely pick it up, but what about the Blues' defense?
This is a group that had three guys reach double figures (Alex Pietrangelo, 13; Vince Dunn, 12, and Colton Parayko, 10) last season and be among the league leaders in goal production from the blue line.
Pietrangelo finished with 41 points (13 goals, 28 assists) in 71 games; Dunn had 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists) in 78 games; Parayko had 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 80 games. The Blues finished with 46 goals and 156 points from their blue a season ago.
It just doesn't feel like the Blues are getting that kind of quality production from their blue line this season so far, aside from Pietrangelo, who already has 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) through 32 games and is well on his way to earning a nice payday, but that subject's for another time.
Or does it?
Well, comparing it to last season, Blues defensemen through 32 games had 54 points (17 goals, 37 assists). Parayko led the way with seven goals (10 points in 32 games); Dunn had 14 points (three goals, 11 assists in 30 games) and Pietrangelo had 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 24 games.
Believe it or not, Blues defensemen have more points through 32 games this season (60) than they did last year. They just came on like a freight train a season ago, and the results showed.
Let's compare guys' numbers this season and last season through 32 games:
Pietrangelo 7-15=22, 7.4 percent shooting; 4-7=11 (24 games), eight percent
Parayko 2-10=12, 2.9 percent; 7-3=10, 10 percent
Dunn 4-4=8, 5.9 percent; 3-11=14 (30 games), 4.7 percent
* Justin Faulk 1-6=7, 1.7 percent; Joel Edmundson 1-6=7 (28 games), 2.3 percent
Jay Bouwmeester 1-5=6, 3.1 percent; 0-5=5 (28 games)
Carl Gunnarsson 1-3=4 (16 games), 11.1 percent; 0-0=0 (seven games)
Robert Bortuzzo 0-1=1 (14 games); 1-2=3 (14 games), 6.7 percent
Derrick Pouliot 0-0=0 (two games); Chris Butler 1-1=2 (nine games), 12.5 percent; Jordan Schmaltz 0-2=2 (20 games); Jakub Jerabek 0-0=0 (one game).
Pietrangelo is up three goals this season at this juncture and doubled his point total. Parayko's goals are down five but his assists are up. Dunn's goals are on par, off by just one, but his point total is down six. Faulk and Edmundson are a wash since they were traded for one another. Gunnarsson's numbers are up simply because he hasn't been injured like he was a year ago. Bortuzzo's are slightly down, but his game is predicated more towards the defensive side of things.
But let's face it, when the Blues are getting contributions from their blue liners, they tend to win games, and right now, in a condition where the Blues need all comers pinching in offensively, they could definitely use an influx from their D, and of their 16 goals from the blue line this season, Pietrangelo accounts for seven of them, which puts Parayko, Dunn, Faulk, Bouwmeester, Gunnarsson and Bortuzzo accounting for only nine of them.
"It's a big part of our offense for sure is our D, getting involved," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "We've got some guys that can really shoot the puck back there. Their shot totals can go up, hitting the net more, just being a little bit more aggressive offensively by them would be good."
With the success the Blues got from their blue line a season ago, are teams being more aggressive and challenging the shots from the point more? Are they sacrificing the body for the shot block, not giving the defensemen to shoot it or even allow them to pinch down low?
"Teams know we have a strong blue line and teams know all our guys can create offense," Dunn said. "It's a matter of getting the puck to us early enough where we do have time and not skating it up on the wall and then passing to us so the forwards get in the shooting lanes. At the same time, when the forwards to get it to us, we need to do a better job getting shots through. That'll create more havoc around then net and more dirty goals that we definitely need at times like this.
"As a group, we need to be getting more shots through. I think that's when the goals will come. It's not about creating goals, it's about creating offense. If we can be that next layer on the rush, that's also big too, but a lot of times, I think we're trying to make those pretty plays and we're turning pucks over and that's where the pucks are coming the other way. When you're forcing things too much and you're not scoring a lot of goals and you give up goals, it's really hard to win games."
Berube agreed.
"That's definitely part of it. They know that we use our D a lot, they know our D can shoot, they're active," Berube said. "There's teams that are getting out on them a lot quicker. Our forwards got to do a little bit better job of making plays to them quicker from below the goal line so they have a little bit more time, and also, once we hit that slot a few times with our R-3, that's going to make the wingers collapse a little bit more and open up the defense.
"When we're firing on all cylinders, they lead the way."
Parayko always looks like someone that any time he winds back, he's going to decapitate someone with his clapper. Just ask Ben Bishop, who felt Parayko's wrath with a big slap shot in Game 6 of the second round off the left shoulder. And Parayko said on Wednesday after practice that their group won't deviate from what they've done successfully in the past. It's not the way to go.
"Just as a whole, I think we've got to stick with it," Parayko said. "It's one of those things where not all the time it's going to go your way. We've had opportunities. I had a couple good chances last game, but I think it's just making sure that we understand the positions that we've got to be in to get those opportunities and make sure that we try and generate them and make sure we're working for those opportunities instead of just hoping that they're going to get there or they're going to be there for us. We've got to make sure we're being aware and putting in the time and making sure that we're not letting them come to us; we go and get them. Personally, I can do that a little bit more.
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
Blues defenseman Vince Dunn (29) ties up Buffalo's Kyle Okposo during
action Tuesday in Buffalo.
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"We tend to work from defense on out, and that's why we're successful."
And when the defensemen and forwards are on the same page, it's normally a recipe for success.
"I don't think we've created as many chances as we did last year, and I think that's a team game," Dunn said. "That's on us, and that's on the forwards too. We're not consistent enough as a five-man unit in all three zones. It's just about everyone doing their job right now. When everyone does that, that's when everyone finds opportunities."
* NOTES -- The Blues skated with a full group on Wednesday, and it included Alexander Steen, who's been out since Nov. 5 with a high left ankle sprain, Oskar Sundqvist, who's missed six games with a lower-body injury, and Zach Sanford, who departed Saturday's game against Toronto with an upper-body injury and missed Tuesday at Buffalo.
Berube didn't commit to any of them returning against Vegas to open a four-game homestand tonight, but feels they'll be ready to go at some point.
"Yeah, we'll get them back. We'll get a couple guys back for sure," Berube said. "(Tonight's up in the air yet. I'm not sure about that, but a possibility.
"Sanford's not bad. He looked good out there today, so we've got to see how he feels tomorrow."
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Blues' 5-2 loss was summed up by with poor first period
Mistakes, mismanaging pucks against skilled team put St. Louis in 4-1
first-period hole, chase Binnington from regular-season game for first time
ST. LOUIS -- This is what happens when you're not ready to play.
It happened to the Blues again on Saturday in a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Enterprise Center.
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
Alex Pietrangelo (27) takes a shot for the Blues during a 5-2 loss to Toronto
on Saturday night.
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With the speed and skill the Maple Leafs possess, the Blues (18-7-6), with back-to-back regulation losses for the first time this season, talked about managing the puck properly against Toronto, and doing their best to keep it away from them, mainly trying to force the Leafs to play in their own end and make them work to get it back.
That all went right out the window 2 minutes 51 seconds in when Zach Hyman scored the first of his two goals. It came off a Zach Sanford neutral zone turnover.
Sanford, who left with an upper-body injury after the first period and did not return, tried to go off the boards with a puck but it was knocked down by Mitchell Marner instead. What does Toronto love to do best? Thrive off turnovers, go back at you with speed, which is what Marner did, and he fed Hyman for a one-timer from the left circle that Jordan Binnington, who was pulled for the first time in his regular-season NHL career, was slow to move from his left to right, got a piece of the shot but not enough.
Boom, it's 1-0 just like that, and when you turn the puck over against Toronto, and have five guys moving forward with a full head of steam, that's when you get caught back-tracking on a dime, and the Blues were not in a good position to defend.
OK, one mistake. Shake it off, right?
Yes, the Blues did so when Ivan Barbashev tied it at 4:25 off a Maple Leafs turnover, by Travis Dermott, a play that Robert Thomas picked off, fed Barbashev in the right circle and he snapped one through a screen to tie the game 1-1.
Back to level terms, get it in gear again right?
Well ...
Here come the puck management, or mis-management, issues.
Jaden Schwartz had a puck knocked away from him in the offensive zone, but Jay Bouwmeester, after appearing like he was going to be able to at least push the puck aside but swinging and missing at it, instead of staying with it with pressure, inexplicably pulled back, Toronto went on the attack, and Auston Matthews scored the first of his two goals using Justin Faulk as a screen, a shot that got under Binnington at 6:51 to make it 2-1.
And it got worse, with the Blues on the power play, David Perron's turnover at center ice, getting caught quickly by Leafs pressure that resulted in a 2-on-0 shorthanded opportunity, was knocked home by Hyman for a 3-1 lead at 9:12. It wasn't all on Perron, as the Blues were putting pucks in poor positions and moving it backwards instead of into the o-zone, and Brayden Schenn put Perron in a tough position with his pass.
So less than 10 minutes into the game, three mistakes, three goals, and the Blues are chasing.
Binnington's night ended when Jason Spezza's goal from the blue line made it 4-1 at 12:57 of the first on what coach Craig Berube called a "missed assignment." It wasn't so much the power-play goal allowed as much as it was an unnecessary offensive zone penalty by Nathan Walker.
Goodnight. Game over.
Binnington was gone on four goals on 11 shots.
That's the kind of game it turned out to be, and it took just under 13 minutes to decide.
"Obviously they got some bounces there," Schenn said. "They capitalized on their opportunities, but at the end of the day, we've got to still find a way way to not try and give them those chances and find a way to be better."
Bounces are one thing, but when you're gift-wrapping them on a silver platter, that's another.
"We gave them some pretty good chances," Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said "Obviously the short-handed one, we were a little bit sloppy with the puck, we knew we had to defend against these guys, obviously highly skilled.
"Just weren't ready. It happens. At the start of the first period, I thought we had some decent looks. Once that team gets momentum offensively, they're going to keep going. We know what we did wrong."
That should be the problem: just weren't ready.
The Blues' 3-0 loss to Pittsburgh was one thing, playing their sixth game in 10 daysand ninth in 16. Legs were tired, bodies were weary. They had two full days to refresh, and will get two more here until they play next, and not being ready against an opponent with this kind of skill, well, the result speaks for itself.
"They had more desperation than us, they played a little looser to," Blues center Ryan O'Reilly said. "We were kind of tight, on our heels a bit. They had a couple good bounces that gave them confidence and you could see every time we tried to get something going, a bad bounce or something, and it was in the back of our net. We couldn't really find our rhythm tonight. It happened, it's frustrating because we know we're much better than that. We've got to put the puck in the net. The power play too. That's a key thing that's got to be an offensive spark for us that I myself and the other guys have to find a way to put the puck in the net."
The Blues played better as the game went along, but let's face it, Toronto played a bit safer and had to absorb some of the Blues' body blows. But when those scoring opportunities that presented themselves were there, the Blues missed the net, compounding the issues of this game.
"We had some chances kind of at the start of the second period there, hemmed them in a little bit there," Schenn said. "We have to find ways to be better though. We know that's now good enough. They were up early in the hockey game, but there was still a whole hockey game to try and come back. We weren't able to find a way and I think just in general, just got to find a way to be better as five-man groups and work together."
Pietrangelo said, "I think in the second period I think we pretty much had the puck in there the whole period and had some good chances. They have a good goalie, they have some good players, it's tough to crawl back when you're down like that.
"I had a couple. I didn't know how it didn't go in. Those ones, sometimes they don't go in, you just have to keep working at it and finding a way to score."
Berube seemed OK with the game, but that's the nature of who he is. Even when things don't look good, he keeps things even-keeled and instills that mindset of get it out of the system and move forward.
He didn't like the shorthanded goal against, though.
"Well, the power play, you give up a shorthanded goal. There’s just no reason for that to happen," Berube said. "And the PK goal, just a missed assignment there.
"Other than that, we were OK, I think. I didn’t think we came out that bad. But we made a couple mistakes, mistakes that you shouldn’t make."
Jake Allen, who received the loudest ovation here in quite some time, came on and played well, making 15 saves on 16 shots (only giving up a Matthews goal to his left off one of those fortuitous Toronto bounces), and Perron scored in the third period at 2:02 to cut the Leafs lead to 5-2.
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
Jaden Schwartz (17) and the Blues had a tough time with John Tavares (91)
and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night at Enterprise Center.
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But this is one that was decided early, a stark reminder to the home side there's no wading into games.
"You give them those chances, they're going to score. You saw that," Pietrangelo said. "They're making plays, they have patience with the puck. When we played them in Toronto, we were a lot harder defensively, a lot stronger on the puck and we didn't give them much."
The Blues were in an all-too-giving mood tonight. It happened against Anaheim here, and against Nashville also.
(12-7-19) Maple Leafs-Blues Gameday Lineup
By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- After going through a rough stretch of schedule where they played six games in 10 days and nine in 16, the Blues are taking advantage of a rare stretch of days off with few games played.
The Blues (18-6-6), who entertain the Toronto Maple Leafs (13-13-4) at 6 p.m. today (FS-MW, ESPN 101.1-FM), finished off their rugged stretch on Wednesday at Pittsburgh, then had two days off between games and will have another two days off before a quick trip to Buffalo, then a four-game homestand to follow.
In the meantime, the Blues took a much-needed day off Thursday and got on the practice ice Friday at the Centene Community Center in Maryland Heights for a rare practice session.
"We worked on a couple things at the end, but just a full practice, it's been a while since we had that. I think we were out there for 35 minutes," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "That's how long practice was and then they stayed out and do other stuff. We wanted to get a couple things in there and work on a couple things. It's important, it was good.
"(Details) are really important in any sport, but you've got to make sure you're constantly talking to your players about it, showing them on video. When you can't practice a lot, video will take care of that and in practice, working on that stuff.
"I worked on d-zone coverage, some neutral zone forecheck. It'll be important against Toronto. They're obviously a very offensive team, tons of talent. We're going to have to be tight defensively."
It was a full skate Friday, and the Blues did not hold a morning skate prior to their game on Saturday, something they're doing more of than usual.
"This is a chance where we've got two days before a game and two days after the Toronto game," Blues center Brayden Schenn said. "We're looking forward to playing the Leafs. Obviously they have a lot of highly-skilled guys that have been playing better ever since the coaching change. It'll be a good test for us.
"I don't know how many road games we've played this year, but I think the days in between games and stuff like that on the road obviously make the road trips a little bit longer, but we're playing good hockey on the road. As long as we're winning hockey games, it doesn't really matter where we are."
Players will cherish the chance to be at home for a bit here around the holidays, with so many road tilts lately. The Blues have played five of the past six games away from Enterprise Center and have literally spent one day at home since Nov. 23.
"It does seem like we've either played a game or been on the road here for the last 30-35 days or so," Blues forward David Perron said. "I guess it's just the schedule and I'm sure everything goes through that, but we just roll with it. It's nice to have a couple days in between games for once."
So in light of the hard, compressed schedule, the Blues sit in a good position with 42 points, which is first in the Western Conference.
"We just keep rolling," Perron said. "Would we like to keep getting better? Yeah. It could be worse also. It's a good spot to be in where you still have a really good record, you're in the top five in the league and you still feel like there's ways to get better and to improve and that's why we come every day to practice, come to the meetings with coaches, they keep hammering away at details. We've been saying that over and over to you guys, but that's what they do. We know that there's details in our game that can get better.
"If you look at the record, it's 18-6-6, and compared to last year, in a way you can breathe a little bit that way, but it doesn't mean that our game, our effort needs to be different. We have to keep bringing that every night. Also if you look at it, not too far away is the wildcard. Teams behind us keep winning as well. For teams like Minnesota, San Jose, Dallas, whatever, they had a bad start to the year and they're right there with us already. They keep winning games."
And that means the Blues need to keep winning games and collecting points in the process.
"It's nice to get home, been on the road a lot, guys get to see their families, their kids. And then we go back on the road for one game, but we've got a good homestand coming up here and it's important," Berube said. "It's going to be a big homestand for us. You look around the standings and the league, it's tight. Got to keep winning."
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Blues forwards Alexander Steen and Oskar Sundqvist were on the ice again Saturday after skating on their own Friday before the team practice.
Steen has been out with an ankle injury since Nov. 5 and Sundqvist has a lower-body injury he's recovering from since injuring it Nov. 27 at Tampa Bay.
They were skating with scratches Carl Gunnarsson and Austin Poganski with Jake Allen as the goalie, and both looked to he skating as if they're going to be knocking on the door of cracking the lineup again in the not-too-distant future.
Forward Sammy Blais (wrist) skated Friday but was not out there Saturday morning.
"It's still up in the air. They're doing good," Berube said. "They're out there, they're skating. Steen and Sundqvist are obviously the closest. It's still kind of a we'll see how they are in a couple days, but they're definitely not ready tomorrow.
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* The Blues will go for their eighth straight win against the Leafs dating to Toronto's last win, 4-1 on January 2, 2016. St. Louis has outscored the Leafs 26-14 the past seven games.
* Perron has nine points (three goals, six assists) his past nine games.
* Blues goalie Jordan Binnington is 9-3-1 with a 2.13 goals-against average and .931 save percentage with one shutout his past 13 starts.
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The Blues' projected lineup:
Jaden Schwartz-Brayden Schenn-Nathan Walker
Zach Sanford-Ryan O'Reilly-David Perron
Ivan Barbashev-Tyler Bozak-Robert Thomas
Mackenzie MacEachern-Jacob de la Rose-Troy Brouwer
Colton Parayko-Alex Pietrangelo
Jay Bouwmeester-Justin Faulk
Vince Dunn-Robert Bortuzzo
Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Jake Allen will be the backup.
Healthy scratches will be Carl Gunnarsson and Austin Poganski. Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder), Alexander Steen (ankle), Sammy Blais (wrist) and Oskar Sundqvist (lower body) are out.
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The Maple Leafs' projected lineup:
Pontus Aberg-Auston Matthews-William Nylander
Zach Hyman-John Tavares-Mitchell Marner
Ilya Mikheyev-Alexander Kerfoot-Kasperi Kapanen
Pierre Engvall-Jason Spezza-Nic Petan
Morgan Rielly-Tyson Barrie
Jake Muzzin-Justin Holl
Travis Dermott-Cody Ceci
Frederik Andersen will start in goal; Michael Hutchinson will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Frederik Gauthier, Dmytro Timashov and Martin Marincin. Andreas Johnsson (leg) and Trevor Moore (shoulder) are out.
ST. LOUIS -- After going through a rough stretch of schedule where they played six games in 10 days and nine in 16, the Blues are taking advantage of a rare stretch of days off with few games played.
The Blues (18-6-6), who entertain the Toronto Maple Leafs (13-13-4) at 6 p.m. today (FS-MW, ESPN 101.1-FM), finished off their rugged stretch on Wednesday at Pittsburgh, then had two days off between games and will have another two days off before a quick trip to Buffalo, then a four-game homestand to follow.
In the meantime, the Blues took a much-needed day off Thursday and got on the practice ice Friday at the Centene Community Center in Maryland Heights for a rare practice session.
"We worked on a couple things at the end, but just a full practice, it's been a while since we had that. I think we were out there for 35 minutes," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "That's how long practice was and then they stayed out and do other stuff. We wanted to get a couple things in there and work on a couple things. It's important, it was good.
"(Details) are really important in any sport, but you've got to make sure you're constantly talking to your players about it, showing them on video. When you can't practice a lot, video will take care of that and in practice, working on that stuff.
"I worked on d-zone coverage, some neutral zone forecheck. It'll be important against Toronto. They're obviously a very offensive team, tons of talent. We're going to have to be tight defensively."
It was a full skate Friday, and the Blues did not hold a morning skate prior to their game on Saturday, something they're doing more of than usual.
"This is a chance where we've got two days before a game and two days after the Toronto game," Blues center Brayden Schenn said. "We're looking forward to playing the Leafs. Obviously they have a lot of highly-skilled guys that have been playing better ever since the coaching change. It'll be a good test for us.
"I don't know how many road games we've played this year, but I think the days in between games and stuff like that on the road obviously make the road trips a little bit longer, but we're playing good hockey on the road. As long as we're winning hockey games, it doesn't really matter where we are."
Players will cherish the chance to be at home for a bit here around the holidays, with so many road tilts lately. The Blues have played five of the past six games away from Enterprise Center and have literally spent one day at home since Nov. 23.
"It does seem like we've either played a game or been on the road here for the last 30-35 days or so," Blues forward David Perron said. "I guess it's just the schedule and I'm sure everything goes through that, but we just roll with it. It's nice to have a couple days in between games for once."
So in light of the hard, compressed schedule, the Blues sit in a good position with 42 points, which is first in the Western Conference.
"We just keep rolling," Perron said. "Would we like to keep getting better? Yeah. It could be worse also. It's a good spot to be in where you still have a really good record, you're in the top five in the league and you still feel like there's ways to get better and to improve and that's why we come every day to practice, come to the meetings with coaches, they keep hammering away at details. We've been saying that over and over to you guys, but that's what they do. We know that there's details in our game that can get better.
"If you look at the record, it's 18-6-6, and compared to last year, in a way you can breathe a little bit that way, but it doesn't mean that our game, our effort needs to be different. We have to keep bringing that every night. Also if you look at it, not too far away is the wildcard. Teams behind us keep winning as well. For teams like Minnesota, San Jose, Dallas, whatever, they had a bad start to the year and they're right there with us already. They keep winning games."
And that means the Blues need to keep winning games and collecting points in the process.
"It's nice to get home, been on the road a lot, guys get to see their families, their kids. And then we go back on the road for one game, but we've got a good homestand coming up here and it's important," Berube said. "It's going to be a big homestand for us. You look around the standings and the league, it's tight. Got to keep winning."
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Blues forwards Alexander Steen and Oskar Sundqvist were on the ice again Saturday after skating on their own Friday before the team practice.
Steen has been out with an ankle injury since Nov. 5 and Sundqvist has a lower-body injury he's recovering from since injuring it Nov. 27 at Tampa Bay.
They were skating with scratches Carl Gunnarsson and Austin Poganski with Jake Allen as the goalie, and both looked to he skating as if they're going to be knocking on the door of cracking the lineup again in the not-too-distant future.
Forward Sammy Blais (wrist) skated Friday but was not out there Saturday morning.
"It's still up in the air. They're doing good," Berube said. "They're out there, they're skating. Steen and Sundqvist are obviously the closest. It's still kind of a we'll see how they are in a couple days, but they're definitely not ready tomorrow.
- - -
* The Blues will go for their eighth straight win against the Leafs dating to Toronto's last win, 4-1 on January 2, 2016. St. Louis has outscored the Leafs 26-14 the past seven games.
* Perron has nine points (three goals, six assists) his past nine games.
* Blues goalie Jordan Binnington is 9-3-1 with a 2.13 goals-against average and .931 save percentage with one shutout his past 13 starts.
* Blues forward Jaden Schwartz has four points (two goals, two assists) his past three games and 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 10 games against the Maple Leafs.
The Blues' projected lineup:
Jaden Schwartz-Brayden Schenn-Nathan Walker
Zach Sanford-Ryan O'Reilly-David Perron
Ivan Barbashev-Tyler Bozak-Robert Thomas
Mackenzie MacEachern-Jacob de la Rose-Troy Brouwer
Colton Parayko-Alex Pietrangelo
Jay Bouwmeester-Justin Faulk
Vince Dunn-Robert Bortuzzo
Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Jake Allen will be the backup.
Healthy scratches will be Carl Gunnarsson and Austin Poganski. Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder), Alexander Steen (ankle), Sammy Blais (wrist) and Oskar Sundqvist (lower body) are out.
- - -
The Maple Leafs' projected lineup:
Pontus Aberg-Auston Matthews-William Nylander
Zach Hyman-John Tavares-Mitchell Marner
Ilya Mikheyev-Alexander Kerfoot-Kasperi Kapanen
Pierre Engvall-Jason Spezza-Nic Petan
Morgan Rielly-Tyson Barrie
Jake Muzzin-Justin Holl
Travis Dermott-Cody Ceci
Frederik Andersen will start in goal; Michael Hutchinson will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Frederik Gauthier, Dmytro Timashov and Martin Marincin. Andreas Johnsson (leg) and Trevor Moore (shoulder) are out.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Allen performing at high level again; shutout of Blackhawks Monday ties him with Halak in Blues history
Netminder's positive attitude during ups, downs in career helping
veteran persevere again as road warrior; 1-2 punch with Binnington rock-solid
CHICAGO -- Jake Allen knows that this hot streak can go the other way at any time.
But he'll do his best to maintain where he's at how, and that's on the hot side of it, after a 4-0 shutout of the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday at United Center, the 20th of his NHL career which tied him for second in franchise history with Jaroslav Halak.
Allen's rise from the start of the season is giving the Blues (18-5-6) one of the best, if not the best, goalie tandems in the league.
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
Jake Allen (left) makes one of his 38 saves on Chicago's Jonathan Toews on
Monday in a 4-0 Blues victory at United Center, Allen's 20th career shutout.
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But after backstopping all 38 Chicago shots, including 17 in the third period, Allen is 5-0-2 on the road this season with a 2.11 goals-against average and .935 save percentage. Going back 13 regular-season road games, Allen is 7-1-5 with a 2.04 GAA and .935 save percentage.
His teammates see the Allen that was so incredibly good against the Minnesota Wild in the the 2017 first round of the playoffs, one in which helped the Blues stun Minnesota in a five-game series win and again in the second round against the Nashville Predators.
It was written in this space after a disheartening 5-2 home loss to Montreal on Oct. 19 that Allen's teammates lack confidence when he's not going well. But like a true pro, Allen took the blame for the loss after a hiccup moment allowing a goal that shouldn't have gone in. Teammates appreciate that, and they appreciate even more, and show it with the utmost confidence, when the player himself is playing with confidence.
"Yeah, he's dialed in," Blues forward Jaden Schwartz said of Allen. "He's in the zone, making huge saves, timely saves for us. We know how good of a goalie he is.
"Every player, every goalie has a rough few months or an off year in their career, and he's a guy that just continues to work and continues ... even when he's not playing, he comes to the rink and he's working and he's getting better. Yeah, you can see how good of a goalie he is, and you can tell he's confident right now."
Yes, Allen is confident, and it was on full display silencing the United Center crowd, and for that matter, aside from an 18-second stretch at American Airlines Center last Friday against Dallas when the game was tied 1-1, Allen silenced that crowd. He silenced the crowd in Edmonton too. It's what a goalie does, one that's thriving on the road, and one that's helping his team win again on a nightly basis.
"Yes and no. A lot of people don't believe me when I say it, but I find it really tough to get into the crowd," Allen said. "I'm sort of in my own mindset during the game. For me, the crowd doesn't really do a whole lot. It's just ironic how this whole situation's played out.
"I don't know (about feeling dialed in). I probably said it a couple weeks ago, I'm trying to get better every single time for me right now. That was my goal the first couple games of the year. I sat down and I said, 'Let's try to get better every single time.' It starts at that point. Now I'm getting some games and closer to consecutive days gets you a little more in the groove. I'm just trying to give the boys a chance, and guys are playing great hockey in front of me."
Countless times during his career, more so in the past couple seasons, Blues fans have been so divided on Allen. They either love him or have a dislike for him. Those that have loved him remember the guy that began his career with such promise and one that can display that dominant No. 1 form at any time. And then there are those that saw the struggles in recent seasons, one that saw Jordan Binnington come in and supplant him as the No. 1 netminder last season and help the Blues to their first-ever Stanley Cup. The season before, Carter Hutton challenged him for the cage, and Brian Elliott before that.
But what has not been forgotten is that Allen, 29, took his role as the backup last in stride, like a guy that has the team in mind even though from a personal standpoint, wants to be the guy, but is willing to do whatever it takes.
The Blues were so high on Allen at one point, general manager Doug Armstrong rewarded him with a four-year, $17.4 million contract on July 1, 2016. There are days when people felt like he's earned it, and there are those that have felt like he hasn't.
Whatever the feelings are, one thing Allen has done is continue to drive himself to be at his best, even though there are nights when nothing would go right, but Allen has always driven himself to do what's best for the Blues, and that's one of the reasons why teammates love him.
"Yeah, he's a mentally tough kid," Schwartz said. "He doesn't give up on himself obviously. It's never easy when you have a tough week or two. It's never easy mentally and he's done a great job of just continuing to work, believing in himself and he knows we've got all the belief in him. So, I think it's just his work ethic, working with Davie (Alexander) and Binner, they do a great job everyday and you can just tell when a guy is focused - just the way that he prepares -- that he's ready to keep building, and I think he's got that mojo back."
Monday's game is a perfect example of Allen at his best. Being positionally and fundamentally sound, being square to shooters, coming out to challenge shooters and not back himself into the blue paint, control rebounds, use his teammates effectively and make the saves he isn't expected to make.
That's when teammates really have your back.
"I'm just trying to keep the game as simple as I can," Allen said. "I think that's when I'm at my best, and if I go back and look at previous years in the good hockey I'm playing, usually it means that I'm in the right spot and things are going my way and I'm doing the right things. I think it's just feeling pretty confident out there.
"Our 'D' has been playing unbelievable. I don't really know how to describe it. Probably the best I've played behind my 10 years as a Blue, even last year. Guys are just doing a helluva a job, and that goes for forwards as well, tracking, sticks, pucks, just being in the right areas at the right time. Everyone's committed right now. As you guys watch upstairs, you're not oohing and ahhing all the time. It sometimes might be boring hockey, but that's the way we play and that's the way we won last year and continue to have success."
Some questioned why the Blues went with Allen last Friday in a key divisional game at Dallas and why they'd go back to him at Chicago in another divisional game. It's a perfect example of the Blues' confidence in him.
"Yeah he has been good for quite awhile now," Blues coach Craig Berube said "I mean the last three, four, five games, he has been solid.
"Down the stretch (last year), he played quite a bit I thought. We needed him. There was quite a rotation there, but playoffs are playoffs. ... Jake is a real good pro and a hard-working guy and we need him. We are glad he’s here. I think I’ve told you guys I don’t know how many times, but both goalies are very important. They are going to play."
Allen never sulked when Binnington came on and crashed the party, burst onto the NHL scene and rolled his swag at all comers.
"I've always rolled with the punches whatever came my way, good or bad," Allen said. "I still know there's going to be a lot of those the rest of my career. Obviously last year, be the best whatever I can be. If I was a support, if I had to get in the net, support Binner, whatever it is. It's the same mentality I came in with this year. Obviously I knew I was coming in with a different role. I've tried to embrace it as much as possible and I told myself again just try to get better all the time and be ready for your starts and go from there. It's a long season, and I think last year, you see every year you're going to need both guys. I'm here for the boys, whatever they need.
"... Me and Binner get along great. We always have ever since he was drafted as a young kid and I was here a couple years older. We just feed off each other. I think I've learned a lot of things from him and hopefully he's learned some things from me. There's no competition, we're all in this together. You're just going out there and trying to play your best every night. He's been the best goalie in the league this whole season. I don't think there's any question about that. He hasn't had any hangover at all. He's proven himself now. He's an elite goalie and I'm trying to be there with him and just give the boys a chance because I know we have a helluva team again."
As for catching Halak, it's a feather in Allen's cap.
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
Blues goalie Jake Allen tied Jaroslav Halak with his 20th shutout in Blues
history after stopping 38 shots in a 4-0 win at Chicago on Monday.
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"Another stat I didn't really know. Cool," Allen said. "To get into the 20's now, we'll see if I can get to 30 at some point in my career. Hopefully a few more to come in the future, but it's a credit to not just me, but a lot of boys in front of me doing a lot of hard work. I still remember my first shutout against Phoenix, 2012 or 13, it's come a long way."
Now, can he catch Brian Elliott's franchise record of 25 shutouts, Allen smiled.
"We'll see, we'll see if I can get him," Allen said. "Hopefully he doesn't re-sign here and add some more on. I think it could be a possibility.
"You have to look at it, it's a tough schedule. Binner needs his breaks, I need games and there's a lot of back-to-backs. We go one-and-one nowadays. It's just the way it is. We were in a schedule the last couple weeks with a lot of holidays and a lot of travel, a lot of work. There's rest needed and when I'm called upon, that's my job to go in there and give the boys a chance. Just got to keep doing that for now."
What Allen also did was put a halt to Blackhawks star Patrick Kane's 15-game point streak (11 goals, 13 assists), the longest in the NHL this season.
Monday, December 2, 2019
(12-2-19) Blues-Blackhawks Gameday Lineup
By LOU KORAC
CHICAGO -- Robert Bortuzzo will be back in the lineup for the Blues when they open a two-game trip against the Chicago Blackhawks today at 7:30 p.m. (FS-MW, ESPN 101.1-FM).
Bortuzzo is eligible to return after serving a four-game suspension stemming from a cross-check on Nashville forward Viktor Arvidsson on Nov. 23.
"More moving past it," Bortuzzo said of the incident. "You never want to see someone get hurt on a play. I'm just playing hard. Unfortunate a guy got injured. Moving past it and getting ready to go."
Bortuzzo will be paired with Vince Dunn against the Blackhawks tonight and playing in his 12th game. The Blues assigned Derrick Pouliot to San Antonio of the American Hockey League on Sunday to make room.
"That's the goal. I've been skating well and practicing hard. I'll just get back in there with Dunner," Bortuzzo said. "We've done some good things together. Hopefully just kind of build off some of the games we've been playing before the break here. It's going to be a fun game to play in. It's always nice to jump into a game like that. ... Any time you're sitting out, you're just chomping at the bit to get back in there. Team's playing great hockey. We've been able to put some guys in and out. I'm just excited to be around the game, teammates and playing."
Blues coach Craig Berube opted for Bortuzzo over Carl Gunnarsson, who missed the past two games due to illness but appeared ready to go after taking part in the morning skate; he'll be a healthy scratch instead.
"He knows if you cross-check somebody like that, there's going to be some repercussions," Berube said of Bortuzzo. "It was a (knee-jerk) reaction. He plays a hard game, but he's normally not doing stuff like that. He'll play his game. I think he'll be fine."
- - -
The Blues (17-5-6), who have a nine-game road point streak (7-0-2) heading into the matchup against the shorthanded Blackhawks (10-11-5), will insert Nathan Walker onto the top line with Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz and keep Robert Thomas with Tyler Bozak and Ivan Barbashev.
It's a move Berube made mid-game Saturday against Pittsburgh and one he'll stick with, at least to start tonight.
"There was nothing going on with that line at the time during the game and so I made that switch and we ended up scoring a goal and had a couple good opportunities, but other than that Walker can really skate and get on top of people," Berube said. "Just keep him there and see how it goes. He's going to be good for that line, brings a good work ethic, skating, getting on top of people. Robby Thomas, he's played with Bozak a ton, so they have good chemistry together and they ended up getting a big goal too.
"[Walker] had a great training camp and then went down to the American [Hockey] League and he's been their best player down there. He's going well right now."
Walker scored against the Penguins, a key goal in the second period to give the Blues a 2-1 lead, in a 5-2 win.
"I don't change anything in regards to my game," Walker said. "I think there's a reason why I'm there, so that's my game and I don't want to change anything with that. I obviously want to make whatever works with them, so any question I have, I'm sure they'll answer and help me out. ... They're both great players. Anyone can see that. They make such great plays in the o-zone and the d-zone. I've got to try and adapt to that. Hopefully I can make some of those plays too."
- - -
Tonight will mark the Blues' third in four days, and eighth in 14 days with a lot of travel and hard, heavy games.
The Blues have managed their time and energy properly most of this stretch and will have to do so once again after coming off a three-game trip, a quick game home, and back on the road for two that will wrap up Wednesday in Pittsburgh, their ninth game in 16 days.
Energy will be key.
"It is, but still, we've got to practice and get some things in there at times," Berube said. "We've just got to make sure we're not out on the ice too long. We still got to work on things. When we can, we'll get out there and practice. It was a morning skate today because of back-to-back games and traveled. Just have a morning skate, but we still have to get out there at times and make sure we're having a full practice and keep working on things. We've got to keep improving."
Defenseman Colton Parayko, who averages 23 minutes a game, said the game itself is the least of the worries about proper body management.
"Not even in the game, just in general," Parayko said. "You need to take care of yourself, take care of your body. Obviously it's tough playing three in four and then you're traveling between the two, but I feel like that's kind of been our travel schedule a bit this year. We've had a few tough back to backs and things like that. We've done a good job responding every time. We've just got to make sure we work together. I think when we stay connected and we play like that, it just makes our jobs easy trying not to give us any extra work. If you put in the right work and the hard work, do it the proper way, we should be fine."
- - -
Jake Allen will get the nod tonight in goal.
Allen, who will start for the third time in the past five games after Jordan Binnington started four straight and six of seven, is 4-0-2 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .923 save percentage on the road this season. Going back to last season, Allen is 6-1-5 with a 2.21 GAA and .928 save percentage; he's stopped 348 of 375 shots in 734:00 minutes. In his only regulation loss in this stretch, he allowed one goal in a 2-0 loss against Ottawa.
"Both goalies have played really well, but it's a tough schedule," Berube said. "We can't overplay one goalie and we're going to need both guys. Jake's done a great job of going in there and winning games for us. Right now, it's going to be a lot of rotation."
- - -
The Blackhawks will play a forward short tonight; they also have a plethora of injuries they're dealing with and goalie Robin Lehner will miss the game because he's sick, and the Hawks needed to recall a goalie from Rockford to back up Corey Crawford tonight, and with Andrew Shaw (undisclosed) suddenly out, Chicago is in need of a forward but can't recall one because they're up against the cap.
Chicago is already without Duncan Keith (groin), Dylan Strome (concussion protocol) and Drake Caggiula (concussion protocol).
"It's unfortunate for them obviously, but it doesn't change our mindset, or our game plan or how we play the Hawks because they're one short," Berube said. "We've got to be ready to go. They're a good team over there and they're a good team at home."
What it means is the Blues will probably see a double dose of Patrick Kane, who has 62 points (24 goals, 38 assists) in 62 games against the Blues.
"He's a player that makes plays," Parayko said of Kane. "You've just got to know where he is at all times on the ice. Any time he's on the ice, he's dangerous and can make things happen.
"I just think any time you play Chicago, it's a rivalry, a good rivalry. They have a good team over there. They have a lot of good players that can make things happen. If you give them the time and space and don't approach them the proper way, they'll take advantage of it."
Berube added, "He's probably going to get extra looks out there with another line. We're probably going to have to keep our eye on that too."
Kane, who is on a 15-game point streak (11 goals, 13 assists), is impressed with how the Blues have managed their injuries and how they've managed the season thus far defending the Stanley Cup.
"Very impressive and you look at their lineup and they have a lot of injuries too," Kane said. "They obviously have a formula that works over there. Started with the back half of last year and into the playoffs and winning and what they've done at the start of this year is pretty impressive too. It'll be a tough matchup."
- - -
Blues forward Ivan Barbashev has six points (two goals, four assists) in a three-game point streak.
Blues forward David Perron has eight points (three goals, five assists) in a seven-game point streak.
Blues center Ryan O'Reilly has six points (one goal, five assists) in a four-game point streak.
- - -
The Blues' projected lineup:
Jaden Schwartz-Brayden Schenn-Nathan Walker
Zach Sanford-Ryan O'Reilly-David Perron
Ivan Barbashev-Tyler Bozak-Robert Thomas
Mackenzie MacEachern-Jacob de la Rose-Troy Brouwer
Colton Parayko-Alex Pietrangelo
Jay Bouwmeester-Justin Faulk
Vince Dunn-Robert Bortuzzo
Jake Allen will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Carl Gunnarsson and Austin Poganski. Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder), Alexander Steen (ankle), Sammy Blais (wrist) and Oskar Sundqvist (lower body) are all out.
- - -
The Blackhawks' projected lineup:
Brandon Saad-Jonathan Toews-Alex Nylander
Alex DeBrincat-Ryan Carpenter-Patrick Kane
Zack Smith-Kirby Dach-Anton Wedin
Dominik Kubalik-David Kampf
Olli Maatta-Connor Murphy
Calvin de Haan-Brent Seabrook
Erik Gustafsson-Slater Koekkoek
Corey Crawford will start in goal; Kevin Lankinen will be the backup.
The Blackhawks have no healthy scratches. Duncan Keith (groin), Dylan Strome (concussion protocol), Drake Caggiula (concussion protocol), Robin Lehner (illness) and Andrew Shaw (undisclosed) are all out.
CHICAGO -- Robert Bortuzzo will be back in the lineup for the Blues when they open a two-game trip against the Chicago Blackhawks today at 7:30 p.m. (FS-MW, ESPN 101.1-FM).
Bortuzzo is eligible to return after serving a four-game suspension stemming from a cross-check on Nashville forward Viktor Arvidsson on Nov. 23.
"More moving past it," Bortuzzo said of the incident. "You never want to see someone get hurt on a play. I'm just playing hard. Unfortunate a guy got injured. Moving past it and getting ready to go."
Bortuzzo will be paired with Vince Dunn against the Blackhawks tonight and playing in his 12th game. The Blues assigned Derrick Pouliot to San Antonio of the American Hockey League on Sunday to make room.
"That's the goal. I've been skating well and practicing hard. I'll just get back in there with Dunner," Bortuzzo said. "We've done some good things together. Hopefully just kind of build off some of the games we've been playing before the break here. It's going to be a fun game to play in. It's always nice to jump into a game like that. ... Any time you're sitting out, you're just chomping at the bit to get back in there. Team's playing great hockey. We've been able to put some guys in and out. I'm just excited to be around the game, teammates and playing."
Blues coach Craig Berube opted for Bortuzzo over Carl Gunnarsson, who missed the past two games due to illness but appeared ready to go after taking part in the morning skate; he'll be a healthy scratch instead.
"He knows if you cross-check somebody like that, there's going to be some repercussions," Berube said of Bortuzzo. "It was a (knee-jerk) reaction. He plays a hard game, but he's normally not doing stuff like that. He'll play his game. I think he'll be fine."
- - -
The Blues (17-5-6), who have a nine-game road point streak (7-0-2) heading into the matchup against the shorthanded Blackhawks (10-11-5), will insert Nathan Walker onto the top line with Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz and keep Robert Thomas with Tyler Bozak and Ivan Barbashev.
It's a move Berube made mid-game Saturday against Pittsburgh and one he'll stick with, at least to start tonight.
"There was nothing going on with that line at the time during the game and so I made that switch and we ended up scoring a goal and had a couple good opportunities, but other than that Walker can really skate and get on top of people," Berube said. "Just keep him there and see how it goes. He's going to be good for that line, brings a good work ethic, skating, getting on top of people. Robby Thomas, he's played with Bozak a ton, so they have good chemistry together and they ended up getting a big goal too.
"[Walker] had a great training camp and then went down to the American [Hockey] League and he's been their best player down there. He's going well right now."
Walker scored against the Penguins, a key goal in the second period to give the Blues a 2-1 lead, in a 5-2 win.
"I don't change anything in regards to my game," Walker said. "I think there's a reason why I'm there, so that's my game and I don't want to change anything with that. I obviously want to make whatever works with them, so any question I have, I'm sure they'll answer and help me out. ... They're both great players. Anyone can see that. They make such great plays in the o-zone and the d-zone. I've got to try and adapt to that. Hopefully I can make some of those plays too."
- - -
Tonight will mark the Blues' third in four days, and eighth in 14 days with a lot of travel and hard, heavy games.
The Blues have managed their time and energy properly most of this stretch and will have to do so once again after coming off a three-game trip, a quick game home, and back on the road for two that will wrap up Wednesday in Pittsburgh, their ninth game in 16 days.
Energy will be key.
"It is, but still, we've got to practice and get some things in there at times," Berube said. "We've just got to make sure we're not out on the ice too long. We still got to work on things. When we can, we'll get out there and practice. It was a morning skate today because of back-to-back games and traveled. Just have a morning skate, but we still have to get out there at times and make sure we're having a full practice and keep working on things. We've got to keep improving."
Defenseman Colton Parayko, who averages 23 minutes a game, said the game itself is the least of the worries about proper body management.
"Not even in the game, just in general," Parayko said. "You need to take care of yourself, take care of your body. Obviously it's tough playing three in four and then you're traveling between the two, but I feel like that's kind of been our travel schedule a bit this year. We've had a few tough back to backs and things like that. We've done a good job responding every time. We've just got to make sure we work together. I think when we stay connected and we play like that, it just makes our jobs easy trying not to give us any extra work. If you put in the right work and the hard work, do it the proper way, we should be fine."
- - -
Jake Allen will get the nod tonight in goal.
Allen, who will start for the third time in the past five games after Jordan Binnington started four straight and six of seven, is 4-0-2 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .923 save percentage on the road this season. Going back to last season, Allen is 6-1-5 with a 2.21 GAA and .928 save percentage; he's stopped 348 of 375 shots in 734:00 minutes. In his only regulation loss in this stretch, he allowed one goal in a 2-0 loss against Ottawa.
"Both goalies have played really well, but it's a tough schedule," Berube said. "We can't overplay one goalie and we're going to need both guys. Jake's done a great job of going in there and winning games for us. Right now, it's going to be a lot of rotation."
- - -
The Blackhawks will play a forward short tonight; they also have a plethora of injuries they're dealing with and goalie Robin Lehner will miss the game because he's sick, and the Hawks needed to recall a goalie from Rockford to back up Corey Crawford tonight, and with Andrew Shaw (undisclosed) suddenly out, Chicago is in need of a forward but can't recall one because they're up against the cap.
Chicago is already without Duncan Keith (groin), Dylan Strome (concussion protocol) and Drake Caggiula (concussion protocol).
"It's unfortunate for them obviously, but it doesn't change our mindset, or our game plan or how we play the Hawks because they're one short," Berube said. "We've got to be ready to go. They're a good team over there and they're a good team at home."
What it means is the Blues will probably see a double dose of Patrick Kane, who has 62 points (24 goals, 38 assists) in 62 games against the Blues.
"He's a player that makes plays," Parayko said of Kane. "You've just got to know where he is at all times on the ice. Any time he's on the ice, he's dangerous and can make things happen.
"I just think any time you play Chicago, it's a rivalry, a good rivalry. They have a good team over there. They have a lot of good players that can make things happen. If you give them the time and space and don't approach them the proper way, they'll take advantage of it."
Berube added, "He's probably going to get extra looks out there with another line. We're probably going to have to keep our eye on that too."
Kane, who is on a 15-game point streak (11 goals, 13 assists), is impressed with how the Blues have managed their injuries and how they've managed the season thus far defending the Stanley Cup.
"Very impressive and you look at their lineup and they have a lot of injuries too," Kane said. "They obviously have a formula that works over there. Started with the back half of last year and into the playoffs and winning and what they've done at the start of this year is pretty impressive too. It'll be a tough matchup."
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Blues forward Ivan Barbashev has six points (two goals, four assists) in a three-game point streak.
Blues forward David Perron has eight points (three goals, five assists) in a seven-game point streak.
Blues center Ryan O'Reilly has six points (one goal, five assists) in a four-game point streak.
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The Blues' projected lineup:
Jaden Schwartz-Brayden Schenn-Nathan Walker
Zach Sanford-Ryan O'Reilly-David Perron
Ivan Barbashev-Tyler Bozak-Robert Thomas
Mackenzie MacEachern-Jacob de la Rose-Troy Brouwer
Colton Parayko-Alex Pietrangelo
Jay Bouwmeester-Justin Faulk
Vince Dunn-Robert Bortuzzo
Jake Allen will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Carl Gunnarsson and Austin Poganski. Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder), Alexander Steen (ankle), Sammy Blais (wrist) and Oskar Sundqvist (lower body) are all out.
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The Blackhawks' projected lineup:
Brandon Saad-Jonathan Toews-Alex Nylander
Alex DeBrincat-Ryan Carpenter-Patrick Kane
Zack Smith-Kirby Dach-Anton Wedin
Dominik Kubalik-David Kampf
Olli Maatta-Connor Murphy
Calvin de Haan-Brent Seabrook
Erik Gustafsson-Slater Koekkoek
Corey Crawford will start in goal; Kevin Lankinen will be the backup.
The Blackhawks have no healthy scratches. Duncan Keith (groin), Dylan Strome (concussion protocol), Drake Caggiula (concussion protocol), Robin Lehner (illness) and Andrew Shaw (undisclosed) are all out.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Blues continue to find ways to win with plug-and-play guys despite key players out of the lineup
Close-knit group embracing new guys asked to fill roles
key to staying on top continuing to perform at a high level
ST. LOUIS -- The well can run dry at any moment for the Blues, playing with spirited emotion and a strong will minus several key components in their lineup.
Take away Vladimir Tarasenko, take away Alexander Steen, take away Sammy Blais, and now take away Oskar Sundqvist, how many teams, especially with so much parity in the National Hockey League, could survive that kind of purge to one's lineup?
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
Troy Brouwer (left) has come in and helped fill a void left by several key
injuries to Blues players.
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Well, the Blues are defying the odds, if there are any. They just keep plugging and playing, and the results don't seem to change much, and in the process, they keep finding ways to bag points and did so once again in a 5-2 win against the equally decimated Pittsburgh Penguins at Enterprise Center on Saturday.
Removing a quarter of your forward crop will test the mettle of even the best of teams. It's not easy to overcome such players, especially with the sorts of contributions each of those players bring.
But the Blues (17-5-6), winners of three straight and 5-1-1 their past seven games, bring up Aussie Nathan Walker and his diminutive 5-foot-9 frame and plug him right into the lineup. All he did was score an incredible hand-eye coordinated goal, one night after having his first goal as a Blue disallowed by an offsides call, one of his own doing.
The Blues sign Troy Brouwer to a $750,000 contract and plug him right into a leadership role and familiar role with many of these Blues players he was teammates with in 2015-16; they trade for Jacob de la Rose, who may not rattle the scoresheet often but brings an element necessary to what coach Craig Berube calls the Blues' aggressive, physical, puck-possessing game; Mackenzie MacEachern has jumped in admirably and filled a role, and Austin Poganski, although hasn't played, was recalled because of his strong play in San Antonio, and Klim Kostin was given a sniff in the NHL and scored his first goal.
No matter the circumstances, these players aren't just here to he reinforcements, they're here to be important contributors, and those that are here playing on a regular basis are making life good for these new guys trying to fit in.
"Right when I got here, you can tell there's a lot of confidence in this room," said de la Rose, acquired from the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 6 for Robby Fabbri. "Even if you get a goal against, you just keep going and keep pushing. We know we're good enough to beat every team in the league. We just have to keep going here, keep playing with that confidence and make plays with the puck.
"I think first of all, the group is so tight. It's almost the same team as it was last year that won the Cup. They know how to get the best out of each other. They're good teammates and they take care of the new guys. It's been pretty easy to get in here to the new team and to take care of me."
There's a unity within this Blues locker room that's tough to penetrate, or disrupt, as the opposition would like to do. Thay unity helped carry the Blues to their first Stanley Cup last summer when they may have been out-talented on the ice at times, and it's carrying them now.
"There's confidence in everyone in this room," said defenseman Justin Faulk, acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes on Sept. 24 and another of the new guys who's fit in. "No one that steps in doesn't feel out of place and I think everyone in the room has confidence in anyone that's going to step in or move up in the lineup or whatever role they're asked of. It seems like we make it as seamless as possible for guys. It's just nice to see that we have that confidence with no matter who's in the lineup and whatever we've got to work with."
Walker said, "It's obviously a super-tight group. You go and win the Stanley Cup and everyone in this room knows everyone. I think the guys on this team are great, especially now I've had a bunch of questions and everyone's answered them. They're trying to help me out as much as they can. I think I just touch back on how close a tight-knit group this is."
From the front office to Berube down to the assistant coaches and the leadership group, nobody makes anyone feel uncomfortable, and for all the rumors in years past that certain Blues fans have had this notion that the locker room is divided, think again.
"Our guys in our locker room, they help guys that come in, new guys that come in and they work with them and they make them feel comfortable," Berube said. "We've got good leadership here. That's a big part of it. You make them feel welcome and a big part of the team. We need them to be a big part of the team when they come in.
"We're banged up, a lot of injuries, so guys that come in, they've got to contribute. It's not just putting in time. We need them to contribute and they've done that."
The Blues know nobody will feel sorry for them. Injuries are a nature of the beast, so it's up to them to stay ahead of the curve, and since Tarasenko, who's been the Blues' leading scorer the last five seasons, left the lineup, they're 12-3-3; they're 6-2-3 since Steen left the lineup, 4-1-1 since Blais departed, and Sundqvist, they haven't lost (2-0-0), and the good news with Sundqvist is he is expected back much sooner than anticipated. The others are long-term injuries, so the Blues will need to keep their plug-and-play guys to keep contributing.
"It's always tough to see someone get injured, especially players like Sunny, Steener, Vladi and Sammy, but we've got a lot of players in San Antonio," forward Ivan Barbashev said. "They've been great all season and they're working hard to get (an) opportunity. Once they get called up, they do a really good job. You can see Walker, he's been great the last two games and working hard. He didn't get the goal last game, but he got one tonight, and it just shows how hard he works. He's just been great for us."
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
Justin Faulk (right) celebrates with teammates after scoring his first goal of
the season Saturday against Pittsburgh.
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Everyone on the same page keep breeding confidence, and the Blues are displaying no such Stanley Cup hangovers to this date. They just keep defying the odds, just like they did last season.
"Guys feel good," Faulk said. "Guys are putting in the work. We know it's a 60-minute game and you've got to play hard.
"Even tonight, we maybe didn't have the best second period. I think Pittsburgh did some good things and put us on our heels there in the second, but we came out right away in the third ready to go and kind of put the hammer down and put an end to it."
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