The St. Louis Blues have had a roller coaster start to the season. Up and down this ride has gone, with a 2-1-0 record over this five-game homestand being a nice positive with two more games remaining on it.
One of the reasons why this team has been able to administer a little bit of positivity is due to their ability to control inside the blue lines. No other team beats them in neutral zone time, as they are No. 1 according to NHL EDGE. At 18.8%, they are clearly ahead of teams like Carolina with 17.7% and Colorado at 18.2%.
That is all well and good, particularly as they control the pace and flow of the game, but there needs to be a switch. Instead of controlling the puck the most in the neutral zone, the need to start pushing the puck forward into the offensive zone has become apparent.
Lackluster offensive zone time
At 40.1% of offensive zone time, the Blues are ranked 19th of 32 NHL teams. Not ideal with a top-six that is very skilled and has some solid puck-moving defenseman. To say that this is anything different from years past would be a lie, as the last two seasons have seen similar results in the offensive zone.
The 2025-26 campaign finished with the Blues ranked 16th, and then it was a bit better for the 2024-25 season, finishing 9th.
For much of the Blues 2026-27 run, the first line has been unable to muster much in terms of consistency. A lack of offensive zone time is a big factor in that.
How to fix this?
This comes down to simple hockey. North and south, constantly rushing toward the opposing net with the puck. Establish the zone, dump in if needed, and chase it down to set up the five-man assault.
Over the course of the season, this has been a constant battle. They are gaining momentum by securing the center of the ice, as they can dictate the direction the puck is going. Unfortunately, that is it.
Looking further into the NHL EDGE database, a problem and a solution presents itself. The Blues are not skating the puck enough, as they are the 22nd-ranked team in terms of miles skated on the ice with 504.63. If they can turn that up a notch, insinuating that they are skating with the puck forward and into the offensive zone, then better results could come of it.
It is time for this group to start moving toward an all-out blitz, with the focus being offense.
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