Thomas blossoming into top-flight center Blues were hoping for when they drafted him

20th pick in 2017 NHL Draft coming of 

age, into his own, in second season in league 

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- When Robert Thomas retrieved a missed pass from teammate Tyler Bozak, curled to the circle and whipped a shot past Buffalo goalie Linus Ullmark, it signified the growth of a first-round pick.

And then he was perched behind the Sabres net Thursday in Wayne Gretzky-like fashion before pinpointing a pass between five skaters for Bozak to deposit into the net for a 2-0 lead, en route to a 5-1 win.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Robert Thomas (18) is developing into the center iceman the Blues have

been yearning for years, a playmaker with elite skills.

Last season, and even earlier this season, the 20-year-old Thomas probably tries a different play, or when he gets the puck before scoring the first goal, he defers to someone else, or as Craig Berube has said in the past, Thomas would give the puck up too easily.

Not anymore.

The growth of the 2017 first-round pick (20th overall) is developing before our very eyes, the kind of trigger man that the Blues have been searching for since they selected Rod Brind'Amour with the ninth pick in the 1988 draft.

The Blues haven't picked too many prolific center icemen in their history, among them that turned into solid NHL players included Brind'Amour (452 goals, 732 assists in 1,484 games), Cliff Ronning (306 goals, 563 assists in 771 games for the third-round pick in 1985), Doug Gilmour (450 goals, 964 assists in 1,474 games for the 1982 seventh-round pick), Bernie Federko (369 goals, 761 assists in 1,000 games for the 1976 first-round pick) and Wayne Merrick (191 goals, 265 assists in 774 games for the first-round pick in 1972.

Thomas' ceiling is just beginning, but from what is unfolding before our very eyes speaks of the potential the Aurora, Ontario native has.

"Confidence for one thing is for sure," Blues coach Craig Berube said of Thomas. "Earlier on this year, I thought he was trying to, for me, he had no composure with the puck. I thought he was throwing it away too easily and too quickly. And now, I find that he's hanging onto it more. His ability to be elusive and get away from checks and things like that, it opens things up. It's how we want to play too. We want to hang onto the puck. We don't want to make all these quick plays and all that. That's not us. He's really bought into that and is doing a good job, and now he's hanging onto the puck more and things are opening up for him. I thought that earlier on this year, he was almost too quick at trying to make plays that weren't there or the guy wasn't ready or just a missed pass. But now I find that he's got the puck all the time and that's good."

Thomas, who has six points his past five games (three goals, three assists) and 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) in 40 games this season, has been utilized more at his natural center position as opposed to the right wing he played throughout his rookie season and early part of this season.

Thomas and Bozak switch up on face-offs being on the same line, but it's Thomas who creates things for Bozak and Alexander Steen off the rush and in the zone when the Blues are possessing the puck.

"I think when you can help him create a little more space, he's able to hang onto the puck like that I think like the last three games or so, he's been incredible, so it's very easy to play with," Steen said.

With confidence comes experience, and with experience comes growth, and Thomas seems to be gravitating towards both.

"I feel like every day I just try to build a little bit, build a little bit more and that’s been my mindset from Day 1 up here, keep on building, keep on building, and having those two on my line helps with that," Thomas said. "They keep talking to me and making sure I’m feeling good, making the right plays, and they get me the puck. It’s great playing with them. They to this point, obviously up to this point, have had such great careers so it’s awesome for me to play with them."

Thomas is the guy on the ice now that feels confident in threading a needle pass into spaces where most players wouldn't even try, he's fighting off would-be checkers that seemed to knock him off pucks easier when he was a rookie, and Thomas is helping complementary players produce to give the Blues the kind of balance needed throughout a lineup.

"I think he’s improving, he’s a kid who will keep getting better and you know, it’s fun to be a part of, fun to watch," Bozak said. "I’ve been lucky in my career to play with a lot of young really good players and see them grow and he’s on the same path as a lot of those guys, so it’s fun to be part of that."

The Blues have brought Thomas along at a good pace, and didn't bring him into the NHL too quickly, allowing him to develop at a good pace. At 6-foot-0, 188 pounds, his body continues to grow into a man's body that will only help his 53.9 percent career Corsi and 53.1 percent career Fenwick possession numbers grow. 

"In the NHL, you've got to learn how to play 200 feet and it takes time," Berube said. "You've got to learn things, manage pucks and do all the right things. There's a lot of stuff that goes into it. He's a smart kid and he learns and wants to learn and he's done a good job.

"He's got speed with the puck. He might be the fastest player on our team with the puck. He backs people off with his speed with the puck and creates open ice."

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Blues center Robert Thomas (middle) is congratulated by teammates after

scoring in a recent game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Which is exactly what Thomas wants, and he wants to continue playing with hard-working veterans like he is today. Imagine when Thomas moves up the ranks and becomes that top-flight center.

"We’re definitely feeling good," Thomas said. "We’re playing the right way and that’s what’s getting us our success, so I think just sticking with that and keep on building off it."

Come to think if it, there's a reason why the Sabres were pining for Thomas in the July 1, 2018 trade that sent Ryan O'Reilly to St. Louis. The Blues quickly doused that notion and included Tage Thompson instead.

Maybe there's something to living in the Tkachuk household and getting some great off-ice advice from Keith Tkachuk.

Incredible depth allowing Blues to stay on top of Western Conference

A 5-1 win over Sabres pushes home winning streak to seven, 

showed another example of how Blues are built to win in today's NHL

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- It's been stated often enough from coach Craig Berube and general manager Doug Armstrong touting the Blues' depth and what it means for the success of this organization.

It's been stated often enough that at times, it's gone through one ear and out the other in the past. 

However, the Blues' run to a Stanley Cup last season was predicated upon using that depth and rolling with it through a grueling and rugged playoff run.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Robert Thomas (18), being pressured by Buffalo's Curtis Lazar, had a goal

and two assists to help Blues down Sabres 5-1. Along with linemates Tyler
Bozak and Alexander Steen, the trip combined for nine points.

Those waiting for the Blues' Stanley Cup hangover are well into January now ... and still waiting.

Judging by Thursday's 5-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres to run the Blues' record to a Western Conference best 28-10-7, it could still happen, but this group continues to show poise and determination in search of a repeat championship.

What's been most impressive about this run is the amount of hits the Blues have taken thus far this season, yet they're still able to plug-and-play guys without skipping a beat.

There have been hiccups, yes, but how many teams can absorb a loss of their leading goal scorer [Vladimir Tarasenko] and key forwards Alexander Steen, Oskar Sundqvist and Sammy Blais along with defenseman Carl Gunnarsson and not stumble?

It's impossible, right? Well, the Blues continue to defy those odds, much like they defied the odds going from worst to first last season.

"We got four lines, we use everybody. Six D," Berube said. "... I think that’s how we’re built. I really believe that. Yeah, there’s times when we need some goals we’re going to use certain people in situations. But we’ve been running four lines for quite some time here. And everybody contributes. It’s not one line all the time. Everybody contributes. I’ve said this all year long we’re going to need contributions from everybody and we’re getting them."

When Tarasenko went down to a dislocated shoulder on Oct. 24, who was going to replicate the 30-plus goals he puts up on a regular basis? Hello David Perron, who scored his 19th Thursday and should be a slam-dunk for the 'Last Men In' Vote and be a Central Division All-Star, but that will be determined on Friday.

To a certain extension, Klim Kostin and Jordan Kyrou were recalled to help alleviate that void, and Kyrou is the one playing alongside Tarasenko's linemates, Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz.

Steen's high ankle sprain came on Nov. 6, and it was that night that Jacob de la Rose was acquired from Detroit for Robby Fabbri, and after being a healthy scratch earlier in the season, Mackenzie MacEachern has been a mainstay in the lineup with 38 games under his belt now.

Blais sustained a wrist injury Nov. 19 that required surgery and put him out 10 weeks. Enter former Blue-turned current Blue Troy Brouwer, who was signed to a $750,000 contract to come and add veteran leadership and depth. Zach Sanford, for all his ups and downs, has been plugged in and out of the lineup. Some results have been effective, some not.

Sundqvist injured his ankle Nov. 28 and missed six games, Gunnarsson went down to a left arm injury Dec. 12 that opened the door for Robert Bortuzzo to be a more bottom six pair guy and the team's most effective penalty killer. And then there's Niko Mikkola, who's impressed beyond what the Blues have expected for two games now with Colton Parayko out of the lineup the past three games.

Robert Thomas and Ivan Barbashev have missed games due to injury. 

Doesn't matter. The Blues move on with what they have and rely on all comers, and on nights when they've seeded them, Jordan Binnington and Jake Allen have manned the cagewell and supplied that last line of defense.

"Yeah, I think that's definitely been a strength of ours for a number of years, but especially recently, and when you have goaltending like we have and guys that get plugged in," said Steen, who scored his first two goals of the season Thursday and combined for nine points with linemates Thomas and Tyler Bozak. "I think Mikkola's done an incredible job the two games he's been up here and playing, gets his first assist tonight. I think Bortuzzo's been an unsung hero for us. His shot blocks, they aren't easy to do and he does it with a smile on his face. There's a lot of great stuff going on for sure."

It really is insane to think what the Blues are doing is for real, but it is. Teams have collapsed when losing some of their key guys, but not this bunch. They're built to win, and they're built to endure the long and grueling haul that an 82-game regular-season and possible 28-game playoff season brings.

"That’s our key to success," Thomas said. "We did it all of last year, well, half of last year. But that’s the way our team is built. Every night someone else seems to be stepping up and that’s what it takes to be a great team.

"We just keep coming on teams. We play the right way. It seems like an endless forecheck, endless pressure and that’s our identity. And when we’re doing that, we’re a tough team to beat."

Thursday, it was what's dubbed the third line of Steen-Thomas-Bozak, which combined for four goals and five assists. It was effective, playing in the Sabres zone and creating around the net.

The Blues didn't rely on Schenn and Schwartz to carry the load, or O'Reilly and Perron to do the heavy lifting.

They have their nights, as Berube said, where the Blues will look to their go-to guys to take on that burden, but Thursday, it was the aforementioned trio, with Steen getting two goals and an assist to go along with a plus-4 rating, and Bozak and Thomas each collecting a goal, two assists and a plus-3.

On another night, it can be the MacEachern-Barbashev-Sundqvist line. 

And then there's the third D pair of Mikkola-Bortuzzo, which was a combined plus-6 (plus-3 each) and played the game in key situations.

"I think Mikkola and Bortuzzo had a nice game tonight," Berube said. "Plus-3; Mikkola got an assist. They’re two big guys that make it difficult for the other team to play against."

It's what's making the Blues so fun to watch and watching those that play all get key, complementary roles.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Niko Mikkola (77) moves the puck past Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju

in a 5-1 win on Thursday. Mikkola has filled in for the injured Colton

Parayko.

"I think we have a ton of depth, you need every line to chip in and you can’t rely on your top guys to get the job done every single night," said Bozak, who has seven goals the past 11 games after three the first 33. "You’re going to have to chip in, us third and fourth line guys, we have to do our job and chip in on nights like this to help the team win and that showed last year too with our depth, throughout the end of the year and in the playoffs that we had a lot of people contributing."

They have seemed to pick up right where they left off, and that bodes well for another deep postseason run this year barring any more unforeseen circumstances.

At some point, the injured guys will return, and the Blues will have tough roster decisions to make, and the guys that have been inserted in to fill those gaps will not want to relinquish those roles. 

But as the old saying goes, 'It's a good problem to have.'

(1-9-20) Sabres-Blues Gameday Lineup

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- A theme for the Blues the past few seasons has been to try and make Enterprise Center an imposing place to play again.

It certainly didn't seem that way at times during last season's Stanley Cup run, and the Boston Bruins came in here and won two of the three games, but so far this season, the Blues (27-10-7) seem to be making the home ice more formidable and will look to make it seven wins in a row here when they host the Buffalo Sabres (19-17-7) today at 7 p.m. (FS-MW, ESPN 101.1-FM) in the second of a season-long five-game homestand.

The Blues are 14-4-4 on home ice this season. Only Boston and Philadelphia (two losses each) have fewer regulation home losses than the Blues, and for them to continue to climb, they have made it a point to make this a more imposing place to play.

"I think we've been talking about that since last year, getting back on track for teams don't want to get in here and play against us," Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist said. "We're on the right track right now and we need to keep building on how we've been playing at home."

The Blues have won seven straight and are 12-2-1 against the Sabres the past 15 games they've played, but Buffalo, which has won two straight after losing four in a row, have been off since Saturday.

Buffalo defeated the Blues 5-2 on Dec. 10 in Buffalo.

"They’ll have good energy for sure," Blues coach Craig Berube said of the Sabres. "They’re going to come out hard and they’re going to be energized, having that time off. I’m sure they worked on things, so first period’s going to have to be a good period by us. We’re going to have to be ready to go. We’re going to have to play a simple game against them in my opinion. Not complicate things, play a north game and really try to put as much pressure as we can in our own end and that’s the bottom line."

- - -

The Blues will not change the lineup from Tuesday's 3-2 win against the Sharks, meaning Jordan Binnington will get the start in goal and be opposed by Linus Ullmark, Niko Mikkola will remain in the lineup and play his second NHL game, Colton Parayko will miss his third straight game with an upper-body injury and Carl Gunnarsson will miss his 12th straight game.

Parayko participated in the optional morning skate and has practiced every day since Monday but is not ready to go yet.

"Day to day," Berube said. "He’s getting better but he’s still not ready to play."

Mikkola had a solid debut Tuesday, playing 12 minutes 31 seconds partnered primarily with Robert Bortuzzo and Berube liked his game.

"I thought he had a good game," Berube said. "I like how he closes on people, I like his size and stick and speed, his aggressiveness. He makes it a hard game for the other team."

Mikkola can now settle in and play the game as if he were a regular NHL player now that the nerves from the first one are over and done with.

"That first game is what you dream about when you're a little boy," Mikkola said. "It's like a dream-come-true moment, but I want to say it's not (back to normal) yet. A little bit excitement yet. It's more faster up here. They have more skills here. You have to be aware of all situations. You have to be aware all the time."

- - -

Add goalie Carter Hutton to the list of former Blues happy to see his teammates raise Lord Stanley's Cup.

Hutton, in his second season with the Sabres after leaving the Blues via free agency, still has a plethora of teammates here in St. Louis he played with during his time with the Blues, which included the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.

Of course, the former Blue was pulling for his ex-teammates to pull it out and reached out to a number of them when they won.

"Yeah, of course. It was awesome," Hutton said Thursday. "I actually took my little guy to see it. We went to Robert [Bortuzzo's] Cup party in Thunder Bay, so yeah, it was fun. It was awesome for those guys. I was pretty excited. Stressful times watching there obviously pulling for them. It was a tight playoffs and it was great for them to win.

"... I talked to a few guys. Robert and I are really good friends. Robert and I have been together in Thunder Bay now for years training. I reached out to him. I think I talked to Jakey [Jake Allen]. Me and Jakey are still really good friends. We had a great relationship here, and then I think a few other guys. I think I talked to [Jay] Bouwmeester. A guy like that, you're pretty proud for him to win. He's had such an unbelievable career, [Brayden] Schenn too. Just the guys I've been kind of texting with. We had a pretty good relationship and it was pretty awesome for them."

Hutton signed a three-year contract in the summer of 2018 to join the Sabres as their No. 1 goalie, not necessarily for greener pastures ($2.75 million AAV) but more so to get the chance to be the No. 1. He had shared the cage with Allen his two seasons here.

But it's natural for Hutton, who was close with many guys here, to be envious, yet happy that his former teammates won. 

But it's understandable that Hutton, 30-15-5 in his two seasons with the Blues, wishes he were part of it all. But Hutton has an interesting, yet good point, as to why things happened the way they did.

"Of course, but I don't view it from that sense," Hutton said. "I view it from we all have the potential to try and get there. My road took me somewhere else, right? I think if my road doesn't take me somewhere else, maybe they don't win a Cup, because if I stay, maybe Binnington doesn't get called up that year if I'm healthy or whatever it is. Obviously for him, it's been an unbelievable story. I couldn't be happier for the guy. He's always been nice to me and he was a good kid and I think a guy that no one really thought he was going to turn into a Stanley Cup-winning goalie, NHL All-Star. I know in his mind he did, but I meant from an outside standpoint, and from a guy that's dealt with that his whole career, I can appreciate and am happy for him."

Perhaps the Blues could have won it with Hutton in goal with Allen? Possibly, but that's a question that will never get an answer to.

"Yeah, yeah. That's it, eh? I can say something, but that's not the way I look at it," Hutton said. "Of course I always picture that, but at the same time, I'm just happy for those guys and proud of my friends and stuff like that. That's not the way to get through life is like being jealous and wanting worse for anybody else by any means, so I was just happy for them."

It's been a tumultuous season for Hutton, who is 6-6-4 with 3.23 goals-against average and .894 save percentage with the Sabres. He started 6-0-0 but is winless in 10 straight and has taken a back seat to Ullmark.

"It's hockey," Hutton said. "We've still got a ton of games here left. Just chipping away at it here. At .500 right now, 6-6. I'll live there and keep working at it."

- - -

* Blues forward David Perron has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) the past 10 games.

* Blued forward Jaden Schwartz has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) his past 10 games.

* With his next assist, Alexander Steen will become the sixth player in franchise history to record at least 300 assists as a Blue.

- - -

The Blues' projected lineup:

Jaden Schwartz-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou

Zach Sanford-Ryan O'Reilly-David Perron

Alexander Steen-Robert Thomas-Tyler Bozak

Mackenzie MacEachern-Ivan Barbashev-Oskar Sundqvist

Vince Dunn-Alex Pietrangelo

Jay Bouwmeester-Justin Faulk

Niko Mikkola-Robert Bortuzzo

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Jake Allen will be the backup.

Healthy scratches will be Troy Brouwer and Jacob de la Rose. Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder), Carl Gunnarsson (arm), Sammy Blais (wrist) and Colton Parayko (upper body) are out.

- - -

The Sabres' projected lineup:

Rasmus Asplund-Jack Eichel-Sam Reinhart 

Michael Frolik-Marcus Johansson-Conor Sheary

Zemgus Girgensons-Johan Larsson-Kyle Okposo

Jimmy Vesey-Curtis Lazar

Lawrence Pilut-Rasmus Ristolainen

Rasmus Dahlin-Colin Miller

Brandon Montour-Henri Jokiharju

Zach Bogosian

Linus Ullmark will start in goal; Carter Hutton will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Scott Wilson and Evan Rodrigues. Victor Olofsson (lower body), Jeff Skinner (upper body), Tage Thompson (upper body), Vladimir Sobotka (lower body) and Jake McCabe (upper body) are out.

(1-9-20) BLUES NOTEBOOK

Blues tighten up defensively, an area of focus; Perron misses practice; 

Parayko still day-to-day; Kyrou returns to good results; Bozak producing

By LOU KORAC
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Shaking off a three-game winless streak, the Blues were ready to nip things in the bud any which way they would.

And although it wasn't always the cleanest of execution in a 3-2 win against the San Jose Sharks Tuesday to open a season-long five-game homestand, one area coach Craig Berube was pleased with was the defensive execution after allowing 15 goals in three losses on the previous road trip.

"A lot of good stuff. I think that we were pretty solid defensively," Berube said Wednesday. "I think we didn't give them a lot of room out there. I thought we played pretty tight. That was one area we wanted to hammer down after the road trip. I didn't feel we played very tight defensively. I thought we moved the puck well last night. We played a fast game, I thought. It was a tight game. We made it tight on ourselves giving up a shorthanded goal, which was unnecessary, but I thought pretty solid."

The Blues (27-10-7), who host  the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, didn't help themselves with an ineffective power play that was 0-for-3, went shotless and allowed a shorthanded goal late in the third to make things a bit dicey at the end.

San Jose does have the top-rated PK in the NHL at 88.6 percent, but it was the aggressive nature of the Sharks' diamond formation that gave the Blues fits with zone entries, and when they were finally able to enter, pucks weren't in there long.

"You've got to move the puck extremely quick and you've got to shoot it and get it to the net," Berube said. "We just didn't get set up enough on that power play last game. Our entries weren't great and when pucks are on the walls, they're very good. Obviously No. 1 in the league for a reason. You've got to get it off the wall and we didn't do a good enough job of that."

EVen with the off night, the Blues still rank fifth in the league on the power play at 24.4 percent, behind Edmonton and Tampa Bay (29.2), Boston (27.5) and Vancouver (25.5).

* Perron, Parayko, Gunnarsson updates -- Blues forward David Perron was the lone skater to miss practice Wednesday, but no fear of him missing time.

Perron, who scored the game-winner Tuesday, his seventh of the season that ties him with Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl for the most in the NHL, was given the day off.

"Oh yeah, just a maintenance day for him and we kept him off. Nothing," Berube said. "He's good to go."

Perron, who leads the Blues in goals (18) and points (44) in 44 games, has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) the past 10 games.

As for defenseman Colton Parayko, who took in St. Louis University's 63-58 win over George Washington at Chaifetz Arena Wednesday night, he practiced again after missing the past two games with an upper-body injury. 

"He's still day-to-day," Berube said. "We'll see tomorrow. He's coming along. I think it's still too early."

If Parayko, who has missed just seven games in his five NHL seasons, is unavailable, it is likely that Niko Mikkola, who made his NHL debut Tuesday, will remain in the lineup.

That's because it's not certain that Carl Gunnarsson (arm) isn't guaranteed to return, although Berube said he's ready.

"He's probably available, yeah," Berube said of Gunnarsson. "He looked pretty good today. I thought he practiced well today. He looked good to me."

Gunnarsson has missed the past 11 games, but Berube has said he wants to get him into more practice time to get his timing and rhythm down even though the veteran appears to be healthy enough to play.

As for Mikkola, who played 12:31, keeping his game simple was the best course of action in his debut.

"I just tried to keep the puck moving quick, stay on the right side," Mikkola said. "If I have the opportunity to go up, I'm going up. Just try to bring my whole game, pretty simple."

When the coaches approve, it's a good thing, and Berube said it's a "big possibility" Mikkola stays against the Sabres.

"He played his game," Berube said of Mikkola. "I thought he was aggressive. He closes on people. He's a good skater and he's got a long stick and reach. He's an aggressive player and he did that. I thought he played a good game. Obviously puck movement's something he's got to keep working on, but he made some plays. There's some plays he didn't make, but that's what's expected."

* Kyrou returns to good results -- Forward Jordan Kyrou, a healthy scratch for two games before returning against San Jose Tuesday, had his first competitive goal wiped out to a challenge for offsides in the third period that would have made it 4-1.

Kyrou was cutting through the middle with speed when he was led into the Sharks zone off a Brayden Schenn feed before quickly snapping a shot over Aaron Dell's right shoulder.

"I thought it was close, and then I watched the replay and you can obviously see I was a little bit offsides," Kyrou said. "It's unfortunate, but it happens. It was a great pass by Schenner and I've just got to try and drag my foot a little bit more."

Kyrou played 14:13 and registered only one shot on goal and blocked a shot, but Berube felt Kyrou improved in the areas they wanted to see him elevate: the defensive side of the game and managing pucks better.  

"He's a good rush player and he's got speed and skill," Berube said. "I thought he played a good game. I liked his game. I thought he was responsible with the puck. I thought he worked hard without it, was in the right spots and did some good things. Unfortunate the goal was offsides because it was a real nice play all around. That's just his speed and shot, and he was a good player for us last night."

* Time to head East -- The Blues just finished a stretch of 12 straight games against Western Conference foes, finishing 9-2-1 to improve to 20-4-4 overall on the season. Now they'll play East teams in three of the next four games, including Buffalo tonight, the New York Rangers Saturday and Philadelphia next Wednesday sandwiched with an Anaheim game on Monday in between.

The Blues, notoriously good against the East, including 19-9-2 last season, are just 7-6-3 against the East this season, including three straight defeats.

"They're quick. I think the East has got some quick teams," Berube said. "They play a little bit of a different game than the West. I think we've got to do a better job against the East teams of just controlling the play. Looking back at some of the games, we probably tried to play to their style more than to ours and when we play the West teams, we know what the expect. We play our game, puck possession, heavy, and I think we've got to do a better job against the East. Last year we did. I don't know our record, but I thought it was pretty good against Eastern teams. This year a little bit different, but we've got to change that. It's just a mindset for us, that's all."

* Bozak quietly producing -- A center iceman by trade, Tyler Bozak's move to the right wing to allow Robert Thomas more time in his natural center position has actually paid tremendous dividends for the Blues.

Bozak and Thomas will rotate positions and each will take face-offs, but after scoring his ninth goal to open the scoring Tuesday, his sixth goal the past 10 games after just three in his first 33, Bozak is on pace for 17 goals this season, which would surpass the 13 he scored last season.

"I don't think it matters to him, to be honest with you. I think that he probably plays the game half in the middle and half on the wing depending on face-offs if he takes the draws, but really in today's game, being in the center ice position, only in your own end really is the biggest thing," Berube said. "In the neutral zone and in the offensive zone, you're just going to a spot. You've got to go to a spot. He's been fine, scored a nice goal last night. He's got what, nine now? How many did he get last year, 11? Probably a good chance he's going to pass that. So I think he's doing alright.

"I like Robby in the middle. He's got really good speed with the puck. He might be our fastest player on the team with the puck. When you can get him in the middle of the ice with that puck, he can make plays, which is good."

Blues right themselves with 3-2 win over Sharks to start season-long homestand

Five games at Enterprise Center was kicked off with victory to end three-game 

winless skid against team Blues eliminated here in conference final back in May

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- It didn't have the flare the last time the Blues and San Jose Sharks squared off on the Enterprise Center ice surface, but it was an important win for the home side.

The Blues brushed aside their three-game winless streak (0-2-1) by winning their sixth in row on home ice, 3-2 over the Sharks on Tuesday night.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Blues defenseman Justin Faulk (72) and Sharks center Joe Thornton (19)

battle for a puck in St. Louis' 3-2 win on Tuesday.

It was the first matchup for the Blues (27-10-7) and Sharks (19-22-4) here since the Blues punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1970 when they demolished San Jose, 5-1, on May 21 to win the final three games of the Western Conference Final by a 12-2 count.

Fast forward to Jan. 7, the Blues opening a season-long five-game homestand and were looking to right the ship that had gone astray the past three games, culminated by blowing a 3-0 lead Saturday en route to a 5-4 overtime loss at Vegas.

"We did enough," said Blues forward David Perron, who leads them with 18 goals and 44 points after scoring the eventual game-winner Tuesday. "I don't know that we were clean and that good energy all night long, but it certainly was enough to get the win tonight. After the trip, the travel and all that stuff that happened the last week, it's certainly nice."

Tyler Bozak and Ivan Barbashev also scored for the Blues, and Jordan Binnington got back to his winning ways with 27 saves after being pulled in his last start when he allowed seven goals on 41 shots in a 7-3 loss at Colorado.

"I think at some points (the game was clean) and some points we have some stuff to work on," Binnington said after winning his 20th game of the season. "It's what it's about. Every game's different and we've got to adapt as the game goes on. We found a way to win a game tonight, so it's good."

The Blues played a smarter game, played more tight and as five-man units in this game, a stark contrast to what happened during the road trip in losses to Arizona (3-1 on Dec. 31), Colorado on Jan. 2 and Vegas last Saturday.

"I thought we played tight defensively," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "We talked about being a better team without the puck and I thought that we were tonight. I thought we did a good job."

A fourth Blues player made his NHL debut when defenseman Niko Mikkola played 12 minutes 31 seconds for the injured Colton Parayko, who missed his second straight game with an upper-body ailment. 

Mikkola, a 2015 fifth-round pick, joined Klim Kostin, Austin Poganski and Jake Walman to make his NHL debut this season.

"I felt pretty good," Mikkola said. "I tried to enjoy every moment. It was fun."

Mikkola, listed at 6-foor-4, 185 pounds, began the game playing with Robert Bortuzzo but also skated with Alex Pietrangelo.

"I thought he was fine, I thought he played his game," Berube said of Mikkola. "He's an aggressive guy, checks well and he did a good job. He's a good player."

What hurt the Blues was their power-play, which was 0-for-3, didn't register a shot on goal, rarely had zone time against the Sharks' top-ranked penalty kill and also allowed a shorthanded goal with 3:10 remaining when Erik Karlsson was credited with a goal to make it 3-2 when he threw a puck at the net, and it was on the goal line near the right post behind Binnington before Ryan O'Reilly inadvertently knocked it into his own net.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Blues defenseman Niko MIkkola (left) battles for position with San Jose's

Timo Meier Tuesday. Mikkola made his NHL debut in the 3-2 win.

"We had a nice look early on in the first one," Berube said. "We had a couple nice looks, but we really didn't get set up on the other two. They pressure you. That's the bottom line. They come with pressure. We didn't set up on the entries. You're chasing, you're going back down again. Next thing you know, it's 45 seconds gone off the power play and you change. Just didn't get set up enough. They have a good kill."

The Blues extended their lead in the Central Division and Western Conference to seven points over the Colorado Avalanche.

"I heard going back (to the dressing room) that Colorado lost tonight," said Perron, who has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) his past 10 games. "We're not going to start standing there watching too much, but it's certainly nice on those nights when you gain two points and the other teams are kind of chasing us and they lose points. It's good for us."

(1-7-20) Sharks-Blues Gameday Lineup

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- Niko Mikkola has waited for this moment for some time.

The 2015 fifth-round pick will make his NHL debut today when the Blues (26-10-7), on a three-game winless streak (0-2-1), open their longest homestand of the season when they host the San Jose Sharks (19-21-4) at 7 p.m. (FS-MW, ESPN 101.1-FM).

Mikkola, who turns 24 in April, was recalled for the second time from San Antonio on Sunday and will replace Colton Parayko, who will miss his second consecutive game nursing an upper-body injury.

"Of course very excited," Mikkola said. "It's the moment I've been waiting for like so long. I've done a lot of work for this opportunity. I'm excited.

"I'm not too nervous right now. We'll see what happens before the game. It's usually a good thing if you're a little bit nervous. I don't want to be too much."

MIkkola, who had 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 30 games with the Rampage, is listed at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds and will be paired with Robert Bortuzzo against the Sharks, who are 3-1-2 their past six games.

"I think he’s done a good job in the American Hockey League defensively," Blues coach Craig Berube said of Mikkola. "He closes on people quick and big and got a good stick. He plays an aggressive game. I feel like if he’s going to be ready, it’s now. He’s a year and something in the minors, played in the world championships last year, keeps improving, we like his size and his skating, his aggressive play."

Mikkola becomes the fourth Blue to make his NHL debut this season, joining Klim Kostin, Austin Poganski and most recently Saturday in Vegas, Jake Walman, who was assigned back to the Rampage to make room for Mikkola.

"They just told me like to be ready, I might play tomorrow," Mikkola said of when he found out. "I slept real well, so it didn't bother me."

"I'm excited for him," Blues goalie Jordan Binnington said of Mikkola, a teammate with the Rampage last season. "He plays hard and he plays hard. I expect that out of him tonight. Solid d-man, pretty strong out there to clear out the front of the net. I'm sure he's excited."

- - -

As for Parayko, this will be his second game missed this season and just the seventh in his fifth season. He's been skating the past two days but Berube said not quite ready to go.

"I mean, right now, that’s all I can really tell you," Berube said of Parayko's day-to-day status. "I don’t know a whole lot to be honest with you. See how he is tomorrow. Hopefully he feels better.

"I don’t think it’s anything too serious but he can’t go."

- - -

Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson will miss his 11th straight game with an arm injury, but he looks like he's on the cusp of marking a return. Berube felt encouraged at practice on Monday but decided against bringing the veteran back tonight.

"He’s possible but he’s only practiced once with us," Berube said. "I just feel like he needs more practice time. Skate today, practice with the team team tomorrow. When he’s been out a while, I don’t want to put him in a situation where timing and things like that will be affected. I’d rather keep him out and get some more practice time."

- - -

For Binnington, who will get the start tonight after being pulled last Thursday in a 7-3 loss at Colorado, today marks the one-year anniversary of his first NHL start and the start of what turned out to be a historical run for the Blues all the way to winning their first Stanley Cup.

Binnington made 25 saves in a 3-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 7, 2019 and has a 43-12-5 record with a 2.22 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and six shutouts in the regular season, then went 16-10 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"It went by pretty fast, a lot accomplished," Binnington said. "I think we're in a good spot today, so that's important.

"... I don't think I'm much of a sentimental guy. Sometimes if you're driving and you're thinking, it hits you, but other than that, it's a new season and you've got new things on the mind and on the agenda. We're back to work and we're trying to have fun while we're doing it. 

"I don't know the details (of all the accomplishments), but obviously we've had a lot of wins and a lot of success, which is important to me, important to this team, important to the organization. We've done a good job. We're in a good season now and going into the second half here, it's time to keep it going and keep going, stay on the right path. Now it's getting fun."

Binnington was pulled for the first time in the regular season against the Avalanche after allowing seven goals on 41 shots.

"It happens, right? I've got to hold myself accountable, timely goals, end of period goals are big and you try and limit those," Binnington said. "It didn't work out that game, so you pick yourself up and you move forward, right?

"... It's another game and more eager to get back in the win column for sure. We know we're better than that road trip, but it happens throughout a season. It's how you handle it. We're going to continue to fight, we're going to continue to build, just keep growing as a team."

- - -

Jordan Kyrou, who as a Greek Orthodox is celebrating Christmas today, will return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch the past two games.

"We want him to use his ability, his speed and his shot, and his playmaking ability," Berube said of Kyrou. "I think on the defensive side of things, the last couple of games, I took him out. The one in particular here at home, a little loose defensively and stuff like that. Some soft turnovers. He’s a young kid, he’s still learning and he’s going to make mistakes at times. He just has to manage the puck and be responsible defensively. That’s the biggest thing. Then it’s just about being competitive and using your ability. It’s normal. A young guy like that, he’s probably going to make mistakes at times."

As for Zach Sanford, who will play alongside David Perron and Ryan O'Reilly, fans have been down on his inconsistent play, and Berube is giving him a loose leash trying to get his game going.

"I think he’s in between right now," Berube said. "He’s got to get an aggressive attitude in my opinion, that’s probably the biggest thing, it’s between his ears, and play a more direct, north, power-forward type game. That’s his game. That’s what he has to do. Has to be more consistent at it.

"Professional athletes, at times they go through stretches of this. I know he went through some stretches last year of the same thing. He ended up working through them and he was part of the Stanley Cup team, he’s playing in the final game, so there’s no reason he can’t figure it out and there’s no reason he can’t do it."

Center Jacob de la Rose will be a healthy scratch for the first time since Nov. 19 and just the third game since joining the Blues via trade from the Detroit Red Wings for Robby Fabbri on Nov. 6.

"Same thing. It’s an aggressive attitude for me, just know what you are and I think he’s played pretty good but in the last couple of games it’s slipped," Berube said.

- - -

* Perron and Jaden Schwartz each come into the game with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) the past nine games. Schwartz has 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 18 games against the Sharks.

* Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has 11 points (five goals, six assists) the past seven games.

* O'Reilly has nine points (one goal, eight assists) in a seven-game point streak at home.

- - -

The Blues' projected lineup:

Jaden Schwartz-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou

Zach Sanford-Ryan O'Reilly-David Perron

Alexander Steen-Robert Thomas-Tyler Bozak

Mackenzie MacEachern-Ivan Barbashev-Oskar Sundqvist

Vince Dunn-Alex Pietrangelo

Jay Bouwmeester-Justin Faulk

Niko Mikkola-Robert Bortuzzo

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Jake Allen will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Troy Brouwer and Jacob de la Rose. Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder), Sammy Blais (wrist), Carl Gunnarsson (arm) and Colton Parayko (upper body) are out.

- - -

The Sharks' projected lineup:

Tomas Hertl-Logan Couture-Patrick Marleau

Evander Kane-Barclay Goodrow-Timo Meier

Marcus Sorensen-Joe Thornton-Kevin Labanc

Melker Karlsson-Joel Kellman-Stefan Noesen

Brenden Dillon-Brent Burns

Marc-Edouard Vlasic-Erik Karlsson

Radim Simek-Mario Ferraro

Aaron Dell will start in goal; Martin Jones will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Tim Heed, Joachim Blichfeld and Antti Suomela. Dalton Prout (upper body) is out.

Pietrangelo managing offense, defense in elite fashion

Blues captain, in free agent season, putting up career-like offensive 

numbers, not allowing potential contract talks or lack thereof to be distraction

By LOU KORAC
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Conventional wisdom would suggest that Alex Pietrangelo's torrid offensive numbers are no coincidence.

After all, the Blues' captain is in a contract year, so naturally the production would go up and set the 29-year-old up for a nice payday come July 1.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is having a career year for the Blues this

season, and his heightened offensive production is continues to grow.

Happens in sports, not just in the NHL, all the time right? Well, coincidentally, it happens a lot, but this is hardly Pietrangelo's case with the Blues, the only team he's known at the pro level since he was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old (Jan. 18) continues to add scoring at a torrid pace for the 26-10-7 Blues this season. In fact, Pietrangelo, who has 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists) in 43 games, will surpass his career highs in goals (15 in 2017-18), assists (43 in 2013-14) and points (54 in 2017-18) with relative ease barring something unforeseen.

He's on pace for 23 goals, 44 assists and 67 points over an 82-game season and is currently fifth in the league in points while playing 24 minutes per game. Oh, and one way or another, Pietrangelo will be getting paid this summer and will be getting financial security not only in monetary fashion but with term as well.

Whether it's with the Blues or someone else, time will tell. But don't think for a second that the father of triplets is producing just to get paid. This has been ongoing now for years with impeccable consistency.

"That's just a coincidence," said Blues goalie Jake Allen, Pietrangelo's teammate the past seven seasons. "Petro's the type of guy that can play under any circumstance you can ever want. He's such a happy-go-lucky guy that you can throw into the fire in any situation in the world and he'd still play his game. I think that's what's so beneficial about him and how important he is. He rarely has a bad night. If he makes a mistake, he'll make up for it and those things that he does on the ice are really tough to replace. You see guys can have a continuous few bad games in a row, but with him, it's rarely. He just brings so much to his game as a whole, in a package that really leads this team. Offensively, he's taken it to another level."

Boy has he ever.

Pietrangelo's past four seasons have produced double-digit in goals; he's done that six times in 10 full seasons. The past four years have also produced 34, 39, 48 and now 23 assists. And in filtering into the offense, he's also so mindful of his defensive game. 

Since his first full season in 2010-11, Pietrangelo is seventh among active defensemen in ice time at 24:50 and seventh in points (430). A guy that's been asked in the past to play against the opposition's top skaters and defend his own net, kill penalties, play in most 5-on-5 situations has been given the opportunity to be more active on the offensive end of the ice, on the top power-play unit and thriving.

"I kind of go about my business, you know me," Pietrangelo said. "I think for me, I'm getting an opportunity this year. Before Chief [Craig Berube] coming in, I haven't really had an opportunity to play on the power play, get those opportunities. Five-on-five too, I think I'm generating chances and finding holes that I can really exploit on other teams. Partner-wise, I feel like I can play with anybody. I'm not really satisfied though. I want to keep practicing and keep getting better. That's what's kind of helped me this year. Whether I score or I have two goals, whatever it is, the next day I forget about it and that's always been my mindset. I just want to keep going. I'm just never really satisfied."

And by not being satisfied, Berube has played Pietrangelo in all situations since taking the reigns of the Blues, with good reason, and with a multitude of partners. But Berube is allowing the hungry veteran to excel.

"I think he's leading our team in plus-minus, isn't he," Berube said of Pietrangelo's plus-8, tied with four others for high team honors. "Or he's right there. That pretty much says he's a great two-way defenseman, no doubt about it. He's doing a fabulous job.

"It's been a challenge for him, and I think it's been a challenge for the whole team and the coaching staff with the D at times this year finding partners, getting that comfortable partner. I know that Petro's had a bunch of different ones, but he just plays and does a good job. He understands it. He doesn't complain about it or say anything. He does what we ask. ... We want our D to be aggressive and hammering walls and being aggressive in the offensive zone, but there's got to be a fill for him as a forward. Everybody does a good job of that of what needs to be done at that time so our D can be aggressive like that."

Pietrangelo is in the last year of a seven-year, $45.5 million contract he signed Sept. 14, 2013, and he's rewarded the Blues with seven solid seasons that brought forth the best return of all and the ultimate prize of winning the franchise's first Stanley Cup. And while the Blues have signed Schenn to a contract extension and brought in Justin Faulk via trade and extended him immediately as perhaps insurance in case Pietrangelo leaves, Pietrangelo's situation is in limbo. But he made it perfectly clear he doesn't want to discuss contract talks between he and the Blues nor wants it to be a distraction while the Blues try and repeat, which they believe they can.

Pietrangelo's primary focus is on the here and the now, and with the Blues leading the Western Conference with 59 points, it's a good place to be.

"I just kind of go out and play," Pietrangelo said. "Obviously I know what I'm doing. It's just continuing to find that balance between offense and defense. ... The way the game goes now, it's not a physical game anymore. It happens here or there, but mostly it's about defending well, positioning your stick and puck possession. I'm at my best when I'm defending with the puck and keeping the other team out of our end. I think when I'm feeling the puck and I'm being able to make plays, I'm sure 'Faulker' is going to say the same thing, I feel like I have an opportunity to defend better because I can get out of the zone quicker. The quicker you get out of the zone, the harder it is for the other team to score."

And that attention to detail is what's making this offensive outburst that includes 17 power-play points, or two more than last season in 71 games, all the more impressive.

"I don't think I've seen him this good offensively since I've played with him, and I've played with him in World Juniors," Allen said. "I think me and him have been the longest drafted guys here now. [David] Perron's come and gone, so I've probably seen Petro more than anyone. 

"He's stepped up his offensive game to another level. He was always a solid offensive player. You can count on him to contribute 40 points a year, play on your power play, 5-on-5 he'll pitch in, but I think this year he's taken it to another level and he's shown that. I think he's playing with confidence, instincts, with something to prove. He's really stepped his leadership up that way I think. What's impressive, and I have to be honest, his shot is getting better. I've noticed it a lot in practice, so I think that's really helped his game. He's getting opportunities. The power play, he's playing a lot of minutes for us. He's obviously logging 23-24 minutes a game, so he's getting his chances, he's making the most of it. Good for him. He's been the leader of this team for a long time and he's really shown it."

Pietrangelo's season is worthy of Norris Trophy discussion, and if not for what John Carlson (13 goals, 39 assists) is doing for the Washington Capitals, Pietrangelo would be right there in the discussion with Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators (14 goals, 30 assists), Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning (nine goals, 30 assists), Dougie Hamilton of the Carolina Hurricanes (13 goals, 24 assists) and Shea Weber of the Montreal Canadiens (12 goals, 20 assists).

But there's one big difference between Pietrangelo and those other candidates, according to teammate Brayden Schenn, and one factor Pietrangelo can't help.

"He plays a lot of minutes every night, plays in all situations," Schenn said. "He absolutely deserves to be in that conversation. St. Louis is a small market and that obviously always seems to have an affect one way or another, but if you get to watch him every single night, he's having a heck of a year for us. We have a lot of season to go, but we sure hope he's in that conversation."

Allen added, "He definitely should be in it. I don't know how they do the polls. It's out of my league, but I think if you asked a lot of the hockey people in the hockey world, I would not be surprised if he's not in the top three. He should be. If you ask a lot of the GM's around the league, if you sat down with them, you'd probably have that consensus. If the season ended today and the NHL awards are here, I'm sure he'd be in the top three at least. People know him around the league as a solid 5-on-5 player, a solid two-way defenseman and this year, obviously with his numbers, I'm not sure of his points but I know they're up there. He's in the top three no question. I'd put some money on that. That's all I need."

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo can be a free agent at season's end. Will be

stay with the Blues or leave? Either way, his production hasn't allowed it 

things to be a distraction.

Pietrangelo, who will be an All-Star for the third time in St. Louis Jan. 24-25, brushes off the talk of awards and such. None of it matters anymore. Why? Well, winning the Stanley Cup trumps all else, and as Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, a teammate of Pietrangelo's for Canada at the international level during the Olympics, said, respect among your peers is equally as important.

Oh, and winning it all matters most. Getzlaf, a Stanley Cup champion in 2007, would know.

"He's definitely top-tier in our league for sure," Getzlaf said of Pietrangelo. "He's been doing a lot of good things for a lot of years here. When you play in a system like this, you're not going to get that attention grab all the time. I think he got all the attention he wanted last year when he won."