St. Louis Blues Morning Links: Gone Streakin’ With Four Straight
By Todd Panula
Good morning Blues fans! The St. Louis Blues pulled off another big result last night, keeping things going in a positive direction. Can they beat the streak now?
The St. Louis Blues did something last night they have only done once prior in the 2016-17 season. They won their fourth game in a row.
In addition to their win streak, they improved their record against Eastern Conference Canadian teams to 5-1. Unfortunately, that means they are done with those teams this season.
The good thing remains how the team is winning. They are playing for each other. They are getting good goaltending and timely scoring. The defense is doing a good job in an overall sense as well.
The Blues still have issues, of that there is no doubt. They continue to overcome those issues and that is good going forward.
The only sour thing is, and I don’t mean to harp on this, but where was all this under Ken Hitchcock? Fans can say they see clear differences all they want, but the system has not changed significantly enough to say Mike Yeo has made any major changes.
The big difference simply seems to be the players on the ice are actually implementing the game plan instead of doing whatever they want. That still makes me wonder whether, subconsciously, they wanted to create a scenario to rid themselves of Hitch.
Clearly, I don’t think anyone would ever admit that. However, once the team was given the clear option that certain scenarios might lead Hitch out early, maybe that led to some performances a little less enthusiastic than they should have been.
Nevertheless, focusing on the positive, we continue to see resurgences. Not only by the team as a whole, but individuals – some we thought left for dead.
Jake Allen looks like the goaltender we all hoped he would be and some of us knew he would be. Yes, he probably could have done better on the Canadiens’ first goal, but other than that he performed admirably, making several key saves to keep the Blues in the game.
Patrik Berglund looks like a man possessed. After only having one goal through early December, he has pushed his total to 14 on the season now.
More from Bleedin' Blue
- St. Louis Blues Prospects Shine And Fizzle In Prospects Showcase
- St. Louis Blues Giving Nick Ritchie A Look Is No Lose Situation
- St. Louis Blues Torey Krug Already Injured Before 2023-24 Season
- St. Louis Blues Need Kasperi Kapanen To Be On Best Behavior
- Former St. Louis Blues Forward Going Into Hall Of Fame
A hat-trick is nothing to forget either. One goal was an empty netter and the other two were deflections, but he’s putting himself in those positions to start with. That was usually the problem with the Berg-dog – he wasn’t willing to get to those areas in the past.
The only problem now is his emergence as an actual scoring threat has pushed him into the trade talk category. Most think it unlikely he would go anywhere, but the possibility can’t be ignored.
For now, it’s more important that the team keeps winning. The Blues can still deal Kevin Shattenkirk if they need at the deadline but might be in a position of power if they don’t have to “sell” and can actually deal.
The key to that strategy is the team remaining a winner. There’s no reason to think they are going to equal the Columbus Blue Jackets’ streak, but if they could get this to five or six or more, then the team might really be in business.
Here are your St. Louis Blues Morning Links to get your day started off right.
Not everyone can enjoy the game live and there are still fans out there without the joys of DVR. For you, here is the official game recap from the NHL, complete with highlights of Berglund’s hat-trick and more. (NHL)
Other than the fact it looks like someone injected Berglund’s upper lip with novocaine, you could tell he was happy about the game outcome and his performance. David Perron and Jake Allen gave their takes on the game as well. (Blues)
Many of us fans have given a lot of stick, to borrow a soccer term, to Magnus Paajarvi. Much of it was deserved and some of it not. However, in a very brief time, he has made his way up the ladder and even spent time on the top line against Montreal. (St. Louis Gametime)
Ottawa’s goaltender Craig Anderson has been through the wringer this season on a personal level. With that in mind, it might have actually been a relief and something of a comfort to return to the ice on Saturday night. Anderson played well and was extremely grateful for all the support he has received. (NHL)
Mike Babcock and Brendan Shanahan might be trying to win for Detroit’s primary rival now, but for many years they bled for the winged wheel. So, it should come as no surprise they felt the loss of Mike Ilitch more than most. (NHL)
Have a great day Blues fans!