The St. Louis Blues are on a bit of a cold streak at the moment. A couple of losses to Central Division opponents and now some panic is starting to set in.
Head coach Jim Montgomery has some defensive lines being shuffled due to a quickly returning Logan Mailloux in a few weeks, and now Otto Stenberg and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki were called up to man the fourth line with Pius Suter.
In this upcoming game against Winnipeg, another Central Division opponent labeled as being worse than the Blues, it is imperative that this cold streak ends. These four X-Factors is what can do it.
Jimmy Snuggerud
This squad needs the first line to pop off, and Jimmy Snuggerud can do just that. He has been steady this season, surely showing that the sophomore slump label does not apply to him. But, if he cannot get a goal past a goalie for Winnipeg not named Connor Hellebuyck, that worry could come creeping in.
Watch out for No. 21 to have a monsterous game.
Joel Hofer
It is clear that the Jordan Binnington ship is sinking and he could be sailing off to another team very soon. Joel Hofer is the go to guy, and he has been solid this season.
Against the Winnipeg Jets, he holds a record of 3-3-1 with a Goals Against Average of 1.74 and save percentage of .933. This is a good chance for him to help these Blues get back on track.
Philip Broberg
Watch that man move. Did you know that of every NHLer from every NHL team, nobody has skated faster than Philip Broberg this season. That’s right, as he reached 24.26 Miles Per Hour in the second period of the 5-2 loss against the Nashville Predators.
Broberg has had some success so far this season, with a goal and three assists for four points. No. 6 has stepped up and become the true first line of defense, and hopefully his initial defensive partner in Mailloux comes back soon.
Mason McTavish
This past weeks first star of the week for the Blues, Mason McTavish is this teams MVP so far. He has been dependable, and consistent. No. 83 has been electric so far, but this is a tough test for him.
In 11 career games against the Jets, McTavish has only scored twice and added two more assists for four points. The Blues do not win this game if he is not a part of it in some way, and we will see if he can break tradition.
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