Through the first four games of the season, the St. Louis Blues had a problem that was becoming a little too obvious to spot. Team captain Robert Thomas, along with forwards Pavel Buchnevich, Dylan Holloway, and Jimmy Snuggerud, the players this team counts on the most to put the puck in the net, had barely made a dent, and the Blues were 1-2-1 because of it.
In a 5-3 comeback win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis, those four were in the middle of nearly everything good the Blues did, combining for three goals and seven points.
The Blues trailed 2-0 early after the first period, and the game did not look promising. Veteran forward and heavyweight enforcer Ross Johnston took the game into his own hands and dropped the gloves with Blue Jackets Mathieu Oliver 21 seconds into the second period, and the building came to life.
Holloway and Snuggerud took over the game
Holloway made the most of the evening, assisting in all three goals of the second period, with the first setting up forward Jake Neighbours at 6:10, and his next two setting up Snuggerud, putting St. Louis ahead 3-2 at 12:32.
Snuggerud's second goal of the game gave him his team-leading third goal of the season and Thomas' first assist of the season. While the secondary assist may be a small thing, players in a slump tend to need small things and finally getting a point next to his name could provide a bit of relief when finally seeing a point next to his name.
The Blues needed these players to find their offensive game in a bad way. With Thomas officially taking over as team captain this offseason, Holloway signing a five-year extension, and Buchnevich seeing a statistical regression, this is the group that needs to continue finding the offensive side of their game.
When this group goes quiet, the rest of the team seems to grip their sticks a little tighter, and the offense becomes that much more difficult to produce.
The Blues don't fold
The Blue Jackets did not go away. Forward Cole Sillinger tied the game 3-3 early in the third period, and the Blues were suddenly back in a similar position, finding it difficult to hold one-goal leads.
Thanks to Jonatan Berggren, the Blues took the lead on a wrist shot past Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves at 9:33, off passes from Mason McTavish and Colton Parayko, in what would ultimately be the game-winning goal.
None of this will ultimately settle anything for this team. They needed a spark and got it thanks to Johnston, and the two-goal hole they were put in should not be the Blues' plan to get their best players going. One good night doesn't mean the problem is gone, because tougher games are coming.
That being said, Thomas now has his first point of the season, while Holloway and Snuggerud seem to be finding their swagger. For now, the Blues are back to a .500 record as they head out on a three-game road trip.
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