The St. Louis Blues have won 10 straight games, one shy of their franchise record of 11 straight wins. During this impressive run, this team has shown their true colors as playoff contenders.
There is a strong case to be made for head coach Jim Montgomery being a Jack Adams award finalist, but there is another piece on the coaching staff who should receive flowers for his remarkable work.
That would be assistant coach Mike Weber.
Stellar defense as of late
Weber has done a fantastic job of giving this defensive core hope. Especially during this 10-game win streak, you can see these pairings really starting to click.
The Blues' blue line has registered 43 goals this season, the third-most in the NHL. They are only behind Colorado and Columbus, who have 46 apiece.
This was in large part thanks to Colton Parayko's 15 goals. Two other defensemen, Cam Fowler with nine and Philip Broberg with eight, are also approaching the 10-goal plateau.
Rallying behind loss of Parayko
When Parayko went down and was sent to the Injured List for the rest of the regular season, many speculated the worst out of this defense. But, Weber rallied this group and kept them focused enough to fuel a strong 10-game win streak.
Now that Parayko is seemingly on his way back into playing shape, Weber can put this defense to maximum strength. Some line shuffling might be involved, but overall, it should be a solid unit once no. 55 comes back.
If Montgomery can be named a Jack Adams finalist, it will be in large part due to Weber’s ability to keep this defensive unit going strong. This 10-game win streak doesn’t happen without this defense showing out.