A Night to Remember for the St. Louis Blues
On a Tuesday night at Enterprise Center, the St. Louis Blues delivered a performance that left the Seattle Kraken reeling with a decisive 7-2 victory. The Blues, despite their record of 27-26-6, showed a level of cohesion and determination that suggested they are finally finding their stride as the season progresses. Oskar Sundqvist, a key forward, was quick to temper the enthusiasm, cautioning that while the win was significant, it was also an anomaly. "What we did tonight, we can’t be fooled by this game by winning and scoring seven goals," Sundqvist advised. However, he was quick to acknowledge the hard work and team effort that led to the lopsided score. "It’s a lot of hard work that comes through it, and you see it in all four lines today. It’s everyone. As soon as you lose the puck, it’s hard strides to get the puck back and winning battles. Everyone worked their asses off tonight, and that’s why we were able to score seven goals."
Strong First Period: Setting the Tone
One of the critical factors in the Blues’ dominant performance was their strong start in the first period. This has not been a common occurrence for the Blues this season, as they had a minus-11 goal differential in the first period coming into the game. However, on this night, they were outshooting the Kraken 14-4, winning the face-off edge 13-5, and grabbing a 2-0 lead. Goals from Jordan Kyrou and Oskar Sundqvist set the tone early. Coach Jim Montgomery was impressed by the team’s execution in all three zones. "I just liked the way that every line looked the same on the ice," he said. "Checking-wise, but especially offensively, we played hard, offensive hockey. The defensemen did a great job in the first period of holding the O-zone, hammering walls, and having tight gaps, which allowed our forwards to get more offensive zone time."
Sundqvist’s Line Shines
The Sundqvist line, often criticized as a weaker third line, was a standout on this night. The line produced six points, with Sundqvist leading the way with a career-tying third power-play goal. Montgomery praised Sundqvist, describing him as the "glue guy" who connects the other players. "Sunny is the brains behind the operation," Montgomery said. "The other two guys can fly. Boldy’s habits are really getting good without the puck. He’s stopping on pucks, he’s making calm, collected plays offensively, and the skill set we all know is there." Zack Bolduc, who scored twice, added, "The three guys on our line played well. We were skating. Our timing was good. The D-men were just flying out there and makes it so much easier for us. Sunny is a smart player. He’s reading off me because sometimes I’m out of position and he’s just covering me. No one sees that, but he’s smart and he’s taking care of the defensive zone of the ice and he’s good with his face-offs."
Consistent Offensive Pressure
The Blues’ offensive play was characterized by a willingness to play hard offensive hockey and a focus on net drives. This strategy not only wore down the opposition but also created numerous scoring opportunities. Robert Thomas, who extended his point streak to seven games, scored a goal and an assist, thanks in part to a net drive by Jake Neighbours. "It’s a mindset and it’s a willingness to play hard offensive hockey," Montgomery said. "I think you’re starting to see more net drives. That’s the second component of hard offense. It’s not just willing to go forecheck, it’s when we have speed on the outside, we’ve got to have speed in the middle of the ice. That creates either defenseman coming in late open or the wide guy open."
Defensive Discipline and Connection
The Blues’ defensive discipline was another crucial aspect of their performance. The defensemen held the zone and kept the puck alive, thanks to the trust and connection with the forwards. Cam Fowler, who also had a goal and two assists, highlighted the importance of this five-man group. "I think that goes to us being connected as a five-man group," Fowler said. "There’s everybody included in making that play happen, but when we do have it going and we’re connected that way, we do feel like we’re able to keep a lot of pucks alive and it helps our offense as well." Montgomery added, "It’s the forwards coming back hard through the middle, so they can. The trust by the defensemen is the forwards coming back through the middle. If you’re watching a lot of those plays, you’re going to see a forward that ends up in between our defensemen, our guy going down the wall. And then once they push it back, they come back out and that forward goes back in. So we’re really playing five guys in each zone together."
Looking Forward
While the 7-2 victory over the Kraken was a significant win for the Blues, Sundqvist’s caution is well-founded. The team must maintain the hard work and focus that led to their success. "I think we’re finding a little consistency in our game," Fowler said. "We understand what we’re capable of when we’re doing things the right way, the depth that we have, and the goaltending that we have. We feel like we can compete with anybody, but I think we’re just finding a little more consistency throughout the lineup, and guys are playing hard and working hard for one another." As the Blues continue to build on this performance, the future looks promising, and the team is well-positioned to make a strong push in the remaining games of the season.
