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St. Louis Blues: 4 Reasons To Fear The Boston Bruins And 3 Why Not To

By Todd Panula

ST. LOUIS, MO- FEBRUARY 23: St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington (50) gets ready to block a shot by Boston Bruins rightwing David Backes (42) during a NHL game between the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues on February 23, 2019, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO- FEBRUARY 23: St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington (50) gets ready to block a shot by Boston Bruins rightwing David Backes (42) during a NHL game between the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues on February 23, 2019, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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St. Louis Blues
ST. LOUIS, MO – MAY 21: St. Louis Blues center Ryan O’Reilly (90) reacts after a goal by St. Louis Blues center Tyler Bozak (21) in the third period during game six of the NHL Western Conference Final between the San Jose Sharks and the St. Louis Blues, on May 21, 2019, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Ryan O’Reilly

There have been plenty of times this playoff season that we have wondered where Ryan O’Reilly had disappeared to. He has not been at his absolute best and been a ghost during some games.

Some wonder if he is nursing an injury, but he keeps coming out and saying he feels fantastic. The truth is his faceoff wins dropped off by quite a bit and he did not look like he had as much speed.

He won almost 57% of his draws in 2018-19. That has dropped to 48% in the playoffs.

Despite those dropoffs, he has managed to remain productive. O’Reilly is still second on the team in points with 14.

You would like more of those points to be goals since he only has three goals. As long as he is contributing to the offense, the team remains dangerous because he is so good at protecting the puck. O’Reilly is one of two or three players that you almost always trust to make the right decision on zone entries, which are so important this time of year.

Adding to his importance in this series is his history with Boston. O’Reilly has not lit the world on fire, but he has played very well in his personal history with Boston.

Most Blues do not see the Bruins other than two times a year. O’Reilly has 18 games played against the B’s and has six goals and 12 points, while playing almost 21 minutes per game. So, he knows what it takes to get points on the board and the effort it will take on the defensive side as well.

The only player with more experience against Boston is Tyler Bozak. He will be key too, having 20 career points against Boston.

Still, you need your best players to be at their best if you are going to win the ultimate prize. Having one of your best players having just come from the Eastern Conference and knowing how tough Boston is will give the Blues some experience to lean on.

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