"We have to make a change," Bannister said following Wednesday's practice in Philadelphia. "Just the thought process there is we felt like we had to move some players around, get a reaction from our players. We can’t go back with the same old, so that was just the thought process. We kind of moved some guys around, got some workers and some shooters on the lines."
"Early on, it's going to be important for us to come out and settle ourselves into the game right away," Bannister said. "We've forced our game, I think. We have to value our work more than our skill early on in the game, and I think the skill will take over as the game goes on. But work. It's got to be work in the first period."
Line-up changes…
Pavel Buchnevich moves to center between Alexandre Texier and Jake Neighbours. Brayden Schenn moves as a forward with Radek Faksa and Zachary Bolduc. Dylan Holloway moves to center between Jordan Kyrou and Brandon Saad…lots of speed on this new line.
Nathan Walker back in for the injured Kasperi Kapanen and will be with Oskar Sundqvist and Alexey Toropchenko…should be an aggressive unit. Scott Perunovich returns to the third defense pair with Matthew Kessel, replacing Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Jordan Binnington back between the pipes. Samuel Ersson in net for Philly.
Change the first 5 minutes…
The Blues have struggled in the last two games giving up goals early to the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, so a good effort is needed to start this game. And we have success...The Blues survived the first five minutes of the game 0-0 despite a short-handed situation with a penalty to Kyrou. Through 10 minutes the Blues lead in shots.
Change the odd man breaks…
Against the Senators, the Blues gave up what seemed like endless odd man breaks with several leading to goals against...need to change that trajectory. Not to be as eleven minutes in…A two on one break by the Flyers and they beat Binnington despite the Blues controlling most of the offensive play in the period and they trail 1 to 0.
Change the second period momentum…
The second period has been a bit of an Achilles heel in recent games...so need to control the play and win the period. Kyrou seems to have some life...skating fast and shooting…need more of that…hits a post and a crossbar in the first two minutes.
Blues push the play and get a power play chance 2:30 into the period and don’t get a shot on goal. Five minutes in and the Flyers go back on the power play after a tripping penalty to Sundqvist and kill it off…Flyers 0 for 2 on the PP.
Change the lack of power play scoring…
The Blues were 1 for 4 against Montreal with the one goal coming too late to matter. A good effort by the second unit on the Blues second power play in the period but they were unable to score…0 for 2 on the PP for the Blues.
Passing was solid, shots toward the net, no goals but good momentum for the Blues. The Flyers hold the Blues to zero shots on goal for over 10 minutes before a shot got through with 30 seconds left…Flyers hold the 1 to 0 lead and the edge in shots 16 to 13.
Change the come from behind record…Only down by one…
The Blues came into the period with only one win when trailing in the third period. Just over five minutes into the period Ryan Suter takes a tripping penalty…back on the kill and the Flyers go spotless on the PP.
Aggressive play by Philip Broberg in the neutral zone and he spins with a shot to the net and Nathan Walker gets the rebound making no mistake to fire it past Ersson to tie it up with just under 10 minutes left. Walker’s first goal of the year. The first goal allowed by the Flyers in 123 minutes.
A Kyrou giveaway at center ice leads to the Flyers scoring on a redirection with three minutes left…down 2 to 1. Goalie pulled with 2:24 left…Schenn has the best chance with 20 seconds left and Ersson makes the five-hole save…
No change in the loss column…three in a row and return home with a losing record…5-6-0
Observations:
* Colton Parayko playing his best games of the season…I for one was critical of his play early on with Leddy…
* Broberg continues to impress at all ends of the ice…
* Kyrou seems to have got the message to SHOOT!!! Hasn’t scored since the first game of the season…needs to continue to work on his puck control...