St. Louis Blues Pros And Cons From Preseason Game 4 Vs. Columbus

The St. Louis Blues went back onto the road for their fourth preseason game of 2018. They’ve proven to be road warriors, picking up another good result.

The St. Louis Blues went into Columbus and came out with a much better result than expected. In a reversal of their previous game, Columbus had a more veteran squad and the Blues went with the youth movement.

The decision paid dividends as the Blues ended up victorious by a final of 5-1. Normally you have to take preseason results with a grain of salt. This one, however, is a bigger deal because it was the final time for several of the young players to make a name for themselves.

The Blues had already made a small round of cuts after the team’s third game. They are expected to make more after this game, which meant the young players the team relied on for this contest knew they had one more time to show what they had.

Going against a slightly more seasoned opponent, they showed well. The final score was great, but the team played very well also, showing that the coaching staff will have plenty of difficult decisions.

Pros: Samuel Blais Continue To Light The Ice On Fire

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Sammy Blais is having a heck of a preseason. For the third game overall and the second in a row, Blais has put himself at the forefront of the team’s offense.

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He scored two goals in this contest, including what would prove to be the game winning goal. That goal came just 35 seconds into the second period and his second came just about six minutes later.

Additionally, Blais was set up by Robert Thomas on both goals and Jordan Kyrou had an assist on one as well. If they are having a good rapport, it would make for a heck of a line, even if that’s a pipe dream.

Cons: The Blues Get Score On First

You know you’re having a pretty solid game when you have to dig for things to pick on. Again, like the last time this happened, we all know it’s preseason.

Even so, it is better not to put pressure on your team by allowing the first goal. The Blues have a better offense, on paper, but it’s better to take the game by the scruff and not need to make a comeback.

That said, in all honesty, there is not much more the defense could do. They only allowed a total of 17 shots and one snuck in.

Pros: The Battle For Roster Spots Is Elevating Games

Kyrou’s assist was his third of the preseason. Thomas picked up three assists in this game alone. Blais scored twice.

Ivan Barbashev tallied a goal. Dmitrij Jaskin put in his second of the preseason as well.

None of these players, rookie or veteran, are taking their spot for granted. They are all fighting to make this team and instead of creating division among the players, it has proven to elevate the level of their games.

Now, it has to be said that this could all be preseason bluster. We might get into the regular season and they hit a slump due to lesser playing time.

Right now, it’s exciting to see these guys competing and not assuming they are making the roster because of league experience or draft status.

Cons: Fabbri Is Hurt Again

In what is likely to be a scare for fans for the foreseeable future, Robby Fabbri left the game with another injury. The Post-Dispatch reported that it is a lower body injury, but not his surgically repaired knee.

Apparently it is a muscular injury. Mike Yeo seemed unphased, but heged his bets too.

“I’m not a doctor (but) I don’t think it’s going to be anything very serious,” Yeo told the Post. “But then again, I’m not a doctor. I don’t know.”

Regardless of knee or muscle, his availability for the team is becoming questionable. You hate to label someone as injury prone, but the thought is creeping into minds at a rapid pace.

We all wish him the best and quickest recovery and hopefully it’s just an issue of not having hockey activity during his rehab.

Overview

The season needs to get here already. We still have around two or three more rounds of cuts and three preseason games to go, but this team is looking exciting.

There are still plenty of things they have to clean up. The power play still needs to enter the zone to be effective, but they look better already, even with mixed pairings.

The injuries, though said to be minor, are becoming worrisome but I am still hopeful that this team is deep enough to withstand it if they are more than just soreness.

The kids have shown what they are made of and it will be interesting to see who goes in this next round of cuts. The Blues are going to focus more on establishing their lineup from here on out, so there will be fewer chances for the young guys to shine, even if they stay the entire preseason.