The St. Louis Blues finished this week with a 3-0-1 record. The team continues to have success following the deadline, not to mention continuing to face playoff-bound teams in the league. The Blues have certainly risen to the occasion and are playing some of their best hockey this season.
It is once again time to look at the Blues’ standouts of the week. Unlike past weeks, however, there are not just three players we can highlight. Rather, we are going to look at certain pockets of players and an important quality the team is showing.
Standout #3- Youth Movement
Trading Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk opened the door for the Blues to insert more youth into their lineup. Otto Stenberg rejoined the lineup this week, while Theo Lindstein was also called up and made his NHL debut on Tuesday. Furthermore, Logan Mailloux has seen an increased role on defense, even getting top-pair minutes alongside Philip Broberg.
Related: Brayden Schenn’s 5 Best Moments With the St. Louis Blues
Without a doubt, the youngster with the biggest impact this week was Jimmy Snuggerud. The 21-year-old scored four goals and recorded three assists in four games. His standout performance came on Thursday, when Snuggerud scored two goals, including the game-winning goal with 4:48 left in the third period, as the Blues picked up a road win against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Blues may be entering a rebuild, but the future does look bright.
Standout #2- Goaltending
Both Joel Hofer and Jordan Binnington had impressive performances this week.
Binnington only made one start this week, getting the nod in Carolina on Thursday. Had Binnington not been sharp in the first period, the score could have easily been 4-0 after the first instead of just 1-0. The Hurricanes outshot the Blues, 13-2, but were still in the game thanks to Binnington. The Blues found their game in the second period, and with the help of the aforementioned Snuggerud goals, the Blues took the two points.
Hofer started his week by recording his fifth shutout of the season on Sunday. He followed that with a 45-save performance against the New York Islanders on Tuesday. While the Blues blew a 3-0 lead and lost in overtime, Hofer gave the team the opportunity to win. Lastly, Hofer kept the Blues in the game on Friday against the Edmonton Oilers. He made 37 saves, setting the stage for the Blues to rally from a 2-0 deficit to win in overtime.
Binnington’s future with the Blues is unclear, but Hofer is certainly making a case to be the goaltender of the future. Right now, it does not matter who head coach Jim Montgomery puts between the pipes. Whether it is Hofer or Binnington, the Blues can expect a brick wall in net.
Standout #1- Resilience
Resilience can apply to the Blues in multiple ways. When I first started writing this, I first thought of the games against Carolina and Edmonton, where the Blues were outshot but overcame and won. Given that these games were on back-to-back nights against playoff-bound teams, the Blues certainly had to be resilient to pick up four points.
However, we cannot overlook the resilience it has taken for the Blues to play the way they are following the deadline. The team lost its captain and a veteran defenseman, while another veteran defenseman was nearly dealt, and a star forward kept showing up in trade rumors. It could have easily been fuel for the team to struggle and continue to sink in the standings. Instead, the team has stepped up and is now just a handful of points out of a playoff spot.
Given everything that has happened, from the injuries to the trades, the team has seemingly decided they are not rolling over into the summer. Does this hurt their odds in the draft lottery? It does, but how can you not be entertained by this team right now? They are resilient and playing with a purpose. Enjoy it.
The Week Ahead
The Blues hit the road for a three-game road trip this week. All games will be taking place in Canada. It will be interesting to see where things stand by the end of the week. Six points are up for grabs. How many can the Blues earn?
