St. Louis Blues Jaden Schwartz Awakens a Sleeping Offense
The St. Louis Blues Jaden Schwartz’s energy and charisma may be exactly what has been missing from a struggling offense.
Admit it. It was hard not to get excited when The St. Louis Blues announced that injured forward Jaden Schwartz would make his return Friday night against the Florida Panthers. Everyone tried to remain calm. Hitch warned us not to expect to much for a couple of games. Some writers explained why he would probably be a none factor in his first game back. Even the players tried to remind us not to expect one player to do it all. Boy were they wrong.
Despite all the reluctancy to proclaim Schwartz the savior of a struggling offense, you could tell everyone was excited to get him back. Why wouldn’t they be? He is a breath of fresh air to a team that has been suffocating. And his return couldn’t have came at a better time.
The Winnipeg game on Tuesday night had to be the lowest we have seen this team so far this season. They had absolutely no energy what so ever. Even the always reliable Brian Elliott seemed to be a little on the sluggish side. This team was desperate for any kind of spark they could get to restart a fire that they had let burn out. Friday night they got exactly what they needed.
While it was awesome to see Schwartz get a goal in his first game back. It was his energy and attitude that affected the St. Louis Blues the most. It seems hard to believe but a lot of people, myself included, had forgotten just how infectious this young man’s play is. He was able to resurrect the STL line to the level it had played at all last year. And behind them the other lines immediately followed suite.
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Friday night, the St. Louis Blues had more players in front of the net then it seemed like had been there all year. Gone was the constant passing of the puck and ineffective shots from the perimeter. Instead we had forwards and d-men alike crashing the crease, hunting down pucks, and tape to tape passes that lead to quality scoring chances. Strong fore-checking and back-checking led to turnovers that resulted in several shots on goal.
Just watching the players on the bench you could see the positive energy that Schwartz brings to this team. Players were laughing and smiling, actually enjoying a game for the first time in a while. Men were jumping on to the ice with authority, eager to get into the game instead of desperate to get out.
This is the offense that we have been begging to see for the last couple of months. Even despite some let down in parts of the second period, the St. Louis Blues were able to right the ship with a clutch goal from veteran Alex Steen, which immediately killed any momentum Florida had achieved.
Next: St. Louis Blues Jaden Schwartz's Return Sparks in 5-3 Win Over Florida Panthers
Time will tell if Jaden Schwartz is really the missing piece to this puzzling St. Louis Blues team. If they continue to put forth the will and determination that we witnessed on Friday night than there is no telling how good they can be.
If they return to the sleepy, passive style of play that has plagued them in the past then no amount of Schwartz’s energy will be enough to save them. Schwartz is a tremendous asset and can be the driving force behind this team. But, if the St. Louis Blues truly want to become a cup contender then they must be able to sustain this desire to win for the rest of the season. Instead of waiting for an external spark to reignite it.