The St. Louis Blues, coming in at 8-3-3, took the Heartland of Hockey to the State of Hockey in the second of back to back games for the Blues to square off against a 4-8-0 Minnesota Wild team that the Blues narrowly just beat at home on October 30th 2-1.
The St. Louis Blues were hoping to thwart the Wild’s attempt at revenge and managed to do so in an overtime win. The team played a game similar to the one they just completed at home against Columbus. You could almost copy and paste the scores from that game into this one.
The St. Louis Blues seem to come open games with an attitude of we’re going to win, but let’s see how hard we have to play in order to do so. The Corsi for analytics suggests as much. I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me, but at a certain point in the game, the Blues seem to flip a switch and start to control the puck in order to come from behind.
It’s as if they say ok looks like the other team came to play. Let’s turn it on and show them our championship pedigree now. I can’t say this is a good thing, but as I mentioned in the report card for the Columbus Blues Jackets, the team is finding ways to win even when though they aren’t playing their best hockey for a full 60 minutes.
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I won’t call this a recipe for long term success as they will inevitably encounter a team that is capable of defending and a goaltender that will stop the Blues push to tie things up.
The Wild opened the scoring on a Marcus Foligno goal 2:26 into the first period on a nice deflection. Nothing Jake Allen could do on this one regardless of how much you love or hate him.
The Blues’ most dominant line over the last few games, the fourth line, consisting of MacKenzie MacEachern, Ivan Barbashev, and Oskar Sundqvist evened the game at one apiece just a minute and thirty-four seconds later on a MicMac goal assisted by Barbie and Colton Parayko.
Carl Gunnarsson then gave the Blues the lead on an assist from Ryan O’Reilly. Gunnarsson took the puck deep into the Wild zone and fed a pass back. Rather than retreat back to the Blue line he lingered deep and found himself sneaking around to the front of the net and jamming a shot past Devan Dubnyk to give the Heartland of Hockey a 2-1 lead at 14:25 of the first period.
The Blues would then surrender the next two goals to Kevin Fiala and Mats Zuccarello to open the second period. The Fiala goal was pretty soft and Allen should’ve been able to stop it, but the puck found a way to sneak through four different players and underneath the snake.
Zuc’s goal was on the powerplay and although the Blues penalty kill is one of their strengths they have allowed a goal to the opposition in back to back games now. Let’s hope this isn’t the start of a trend. I don’t it is, but it’s something worth monitoring.
Sammy Blais, after starting the game on the first line, was moved to the third mid-game as Berube was looking to generate a spark or some energy for his flat looking club scored the tying goal at 6:05 in the third period.
The game went to overtime where Ryan O’Reilly, sporting the A in Vladimir Tarasenko‘s prolonged absence scored the winner for the Blues at 2:27 on an assist from Vince Dunn and Robert Thomas.
If I gave out a score for the reffing in this game it would be an F. I typically try to avoid complaining about officiating, but this game warrants a mention as both sides experienced some terrible calls and non-calls. It went both ways and the Wild fans probably feel robbed, but sometimes that’s how the game goes. Let’s get to the team grades!
Offense- B
Once again the Blues offense does enough to get the win, but as I mentioned before it’s as if they wait to see how hard they need to play in order to win. They are winning games sure, but they seem to be winning them despite themselves.
It’s great to see all the come from behind wins this season especially since they couldn’t seem to do it last season early on, but it’s a “live by the sword, die by the sword” type of play that you hope doesn’t continue.
Eventually, they will meet a team and a series of teams where this won’t be possible. Early in the season teams are still trying to figure out their defensive schemes and getting adjusted to playing 200-foot hockey. It’s an undeniable truth in the NHL.
It’s easier to score earlier in the season than it is later. Teams seem to be looser defensively early on. Some more than others, but the stats prove it. Goals are scored in bunches early on and the higher than average GAAs of goaltenders suggest as much.
So as the season wears on the Blues better be playing their A-game style of hockey for 60 minutes because these comebacks will be harder to acquire.
Defense- C
This score isn’t directly about the top 6 defensemen. More of a reflection of the team as a whole. Once again there seems to be a lack of desire to play the 200-foot game until it’s absolutely necessary by this team.
Aside from the fourth line of the Blues the rest of the lines seem to be content doing just enough and only turning it on when necessary. This is a dangerous way to live in the NHL as the parity is too tight to continue to have success in this manner.
I think the team will be fine because they seem to show that they can play a solid style of St. Louis blues Hockley when needed, but it gives me pause and leaves me a little on edge as I hope this doesn’t become a habit.
Craig Berube won’t stand for it for long and the time will come if they continue this way where they will lose a few games in succession because they aren’t coming out willing to do what needs to be done to dominate another team.
I get it. The Blues style of play is tiring and taxing. So the fact that the players are doing what they can it seems to do just enough early on is understandable, but again they’re playing with fire. Let’s hope it doesn’t take a serious losing streak to kick them in the rears, but it usually takes that for people to become willing to change.
Special Teams- C
The Blues penalty kill allowed another goal and in this game, the power play failed to convert on three of their own chances.
Ultimately it didn’t cost them the game, but it nearly did. If not for a blown call by the refs Sammy Blais’s goal doesn’t happen. He appeared to trip up a Wild player in the offensive zone and there was no call.
I can’t say if the whistle was held to make up for one of the weak calls against the Blues or what the reasoning was, but it was clearly a trip. Thankfully for the Blues, the call wasn’t made and Blais received the puck and finished it for the game-tying goal.
Goaltending- B
Aside from the weakish goal by Fiala in the second period, Jake Allen looked pretty good. He started off shaky and the puck seemed to be squeaking out and away from him in the very early going and left me rolling my eyes thinking oh great, buckle up. It’s going to be one of those games for Allen.
I was pleased to see that Jake was able to settle it down and get control of the rebounds better as the game went on. Jake isn’t going to steal the show anymore it would seem, unless in a negative way, but he will provide the rest and decent enough goaltending most games to give the team a chance to win.
He made some solid saves and showed off that athleticism we all hoped would catapult him into the NHL elite in goaltending that never came to fruition. He did his job and got the win. To ask anything more from a backup is crazy and although he is making more than a backup’s salary I’ll take what we have from him.
Coaching- B
Berube and the coaching staff did what needed to be done and did some in-game shuffling of the lines that paid off. Blais in the third line with Robert Thomas and Bozak is a fun line to watch.
I haven’t decided yet if he’s moving Blais down because he doesn’t feel he’s doing enough on the top line, or if he sees something in the matchups on the third line that he is trying to exploit by moving Blais down.
Like all things, it’s probably a little a both at varying degrees, but in any case, when he’s done it, the line has generated some offensive pressure and opportunities. In Chief We Trust I say. So whatever the reason I trust it.
Overall the Blues won the game and didn’t play a full 60 minutes. It’s cautioning and at the same time encouraging. They will have a harder time of it against a Vancouver Canucks team that is on fire right now. Elias Pettersson has brushed off any suggestions he will have a sophomore slump.
Their powerplay is electric and they are getting some solid goaltending from the like of Jakob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko. They are a young and fast team that can and most likely will give the Blues fits if the BLues aren’t prepared to play a 200-foot game. They will need to have a game like they did against Colorado if they want to get another two points in this one. I’m afraid the just enough style won’t work against Vancouver.
Drop the puck!