St. Louis Blues Oskar Sundqvist Unsung Hero Of Dallas Game 1

The St. Louis Blues got plenty of good performances in their second round game against the Dallas Stars. Stats do not always show who played the best, however.

The St. Louis Blues got off to a good start against the Dallas Stars. A 3-2 win was about as good as you could ask for.

Things could have played out a little better. The Blues allowed a late goal that made things a lot more nervous than it needed to be, but that’s the Blues for you.

As far as the game went, you got the names you needed making big contributions. Vladimir Tarasenko scored two goals and they were not just cheapies either.

Tarasenko used his speed and power to get both of his tallies. Ryan O’Reilly had his typical solid, all around game.

The Blues top line was very good in the offensive zone. Their defensive work was a little spotty, but hopefully that will improve.

It is a name that does not really stand out on the stat sheet that was an unsung hero in this game, however. Oskar Sundqvist had himself a heck of a game against the Dallas Stars.

Sundqvist won’t pop out at you on the box score. He had two shots in just over 19 minutes of playing time. Does not sound like much, right?

The difference is actually watching the game and seeing how Sundqvist played. He was solid in all three zones, both on and off the puck.

As seen in the photo for the story, Sundqvist was a physical presence. He was second on the team with three hits, which given how the NHL gives those out some nights, he may have had closer to six.

Sundqvist was mixing it up all night long. We are not talking about getting in people’s faces with the stinky face wash, but winning battles in the dirty areas of the ice.

His line was not constantly going up against the Jamie Benn line, but when they were they were doing a good job of containing them. It should come as no surprise that Brayden Schenn, who was also on that line, led the team with four hits.

Sundqvist was constantly in the corners, jabbing at pucks and tying up opponents. He won puck battles along the boards, but was not just tied to the walls either.

Sunny was also really solid in the offensive zone. He kept pucks in the zone and kept them alive below the endline instead of allowing himself to be tied up.

In one of the most impressive turnarounds, Sundqvist actually looks like one of the faster players on the team with the way he plays. Of course, in a foot race, that would not be the case. However, Sundqvist looked speedy in this game.

He was strong on his zone entries, pushing past defenders by not standing still in the neutral zone. Sundqvist was always keeping his feet moving, which kept him free.

Late in the game, he drove hard into the zone and then managed to keep possession down low, which killed off valuable time when Dallas was trying to push for a tying goal.

Guys that score the goals and provide offensive help get all the glory. To borrow a phrase, it is the hockey equivalent of chicks dig the long ball.

Sometimes it is the guys that are doing the little things that are just as important though. Sundqvist was that guy in Game 1.