10-game road losing streak ends with strong game for the most part from start to finish; Thomas’ return prime example of why you don’t trade this player; Mailloux stringing together games of late of why Blues traded for young defenseman; Buchnevich producing of late; Hofer save on Tarasenko key
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Video Transcript
I know what you guys are thinking.
You guys are thinking the Blues are gonna blow this.
They’re gonna blow getting the first or second pick, or even the third pick, or whatever it is.
They’re winning hockey games.
It’s kinda hard to tell an athlete to tank.
It really is.
I mean, you’re– you can either play or you can’t.
And I know embrace the tank has been something that, Blues fans have been clamoring now ever since, things started going, haywire this season with this team.
But you gotta admit that that game tonight against the Minnesota Wild was, pretty impressive.
Another impressive game coming out of the Olympic break.
That’s two out of three.
Now, actually, I didn’t think they were all that bad on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils, just that second period wasn’t very good.
but other than that, and maybe they could’ve had a bigger push to start that third period against the Devils on Saturday, but other than that, I think they’ve played pretty darn good here.
And this is the second of a back-to-back, against a good team, playing its first home game in a month, honoring their Olympians.
a lot of– probably a lot of juice in the building there.
but a lot of good things happened in this game.
First of all, the Blues snapped a 10-game road losing streak, first and foremost.
they haven’t won away from Enterprise Center since December 20th when they beat the Florida Panthers six to two.
That’s a long time.
and I gotta tell you guys, Robert Thomas is back in the lineup tonight.
And this was example A, example B, C, D, E, F, whatever you wanna call it, of why, if you’re the Blues and you’re management, unless you’re gonna get a ransom for him, you don’t even entertain trading this player.
I know all the noise that’s been out there.
I’m not one of the ones that’s been reporting on it.
just not a lot of whole concrete stuff that I’m gonna go by.
but to be honest with you, we’re talking about a number one center here, 26 years old, good term left on his contract, very reasonable term.
And you can obviously tell he was a much more healthier player tonight.
probably says a lot that he hasn’t played very healthy this year when we’re talking about something that’s going back that’s bothered him since late last season.
Actually, probably even before that, probably going back to that blocked shot against the Winnipeg Jets a year ago in October.
So, to finally look healthy again, and you can tell he was very healthy out there.
I mean, he had an impact on that first goal, put the game away late, did so many good things in this game that I’m just telling you, if you surround this player with the right kind of players, whether it be a veteran or two, or nurturing along some of your good young talent like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dvorsky, Justin Carbonneau, just to name a few, you got a pretty effective player here that can, affect the game for you in a positive light more nights than not.
And I know a lot can happen between now and Friday.
And who knows?
Maybe Robert Thomas and his camp go to Doug Armstrong and say, “Nah, we’d rather go someplace else.
we don’t wanna wait this out here before you feel like things are gonna go back in the right direction.”
If that’s the case, that’s, that’s a whole nother conversation to be had.
But I think if you’re the Blues, if you trade away Robert Thomas, again, unless you get a ransom from somebody, and I just don’t see anybody ponying up a ransom price for this player, this is the kind of player you build around.
And once again, tonight was a prime example of why this is the kind of player you just don’t get rid of.
Pavel Buchnevich, the offense has been shining once again.
Too little too late for this season to save the team, yeah, but I think you’ve gotta be encouraged by the signs that you’ve seen as of late.
Five-game point streak, eight points total, 13 points in the last 10 games.
I know a lot of users are saying, “Where was this earlier in the year?”
I’m one of them.
I agree.
Wasn’t there.
But who would’ve thought that a change to center was gonna change his fortunes?
Scored a beauty tonight, wound up being the game winner, 23rd of his career.
Gotta give him credit.
Credit where credit’s due.
You’re starting to see here in the last stretch of games a 200-foot player, and it was on exhibit again here tonight.
Logan Mailloux, another very impressive, solid game.
Remember that conversation and story that I wrote with Chris Pronger?
Among many of the things that he had to say to me was patience.
I think you’re seeing it.
That patience is starting to pay off right now.
Still a ways to go, but another very effective game where Logan Mailloux, in Colton Parayko’s absence, steps into a top s- top four role.
Plays over 20 minutes again tonight.
Got the Blues on the board.
Big goal.
Big goal late in the second period.
That game’s one-one going into the third period without himSecond of a back-to-back, you’re chasing the game in the third period.
You may not win that one, but he gets one to even the score after Minnesota got a gift of a high sticking penalty, and they converted on that power play, a penalty that shouldn’t have been called, by the way.
It was friendly f- friendly fire stick.
That’s another conversation for another day.
But again, slowly just progressing, getting more i– earning more ice time, playing 20 minutes in back-to-back games now.
Season high yesterday, twenty thirty-five, twenty thirty-two tonight.
He was a plus two.
He’s either been a plus or an even player in 20 of his last 26 games now.
Again, give it some time.
It’s gonna happen.
It wasn’t the worst trade of the century, as a lot of youse had it dubbed earlier in the year.
As Chris Pronger said, “We’re comparing apples to oranges when you’re talking about Mayu and Bolduc.”
Oh, and by the way, Bolduc’s going through his struggles right now.
The Montreal Canadiens have made him a healthy scratch for a couple of games here coming out of the break.
So just give it some time.
It’ll happen.
The Blues are gonna keep working with this kid.
He’s breaking up plays.
He’s making good, strong defensive plays.
He’s making good reads on zone exits, jumping into the play offensively.
You saw that again tonight.
He had three more shots on goal.
He’s got nine in the last three games.
And I still think he can shoot the puck more.
I still think he’s deferring, but you’re starting to see remnants and signs of him breaking out of some of those things.
He’s 22 years old.
Just be patient with it.
And how about Joel Hofer?
What a save.
What a save on Vladimir Tarasenko late in the game there.
It’s a two-to-one game.
That’s a 10-beller.
Comes off a turnover.
Zuccarello finds Tarasenko in the slot, and Hofer gets that glove on it and keeps it a two-to-one game.
Big one.
It’s back-to-back games now where he’s allowed just o- one or fewer goals, one goal in each of his two starts coming out of the Olympic break, a .957 save percentage.
Kind of on par with how he’s been playing for the better part of the last two to three months.
So good win tonight.
Again, you beat a really good hockey team.
Now the Blues come back home.
Couple days here before they head back out west, and we wait to see what happens on Friday.
They play Wednesday in Seattle and on trade deadline day on Friday against the San Jose Sharks.
And when they play that game on Friday night and on Sunday when they conclude the road trip in Anaheim, we’ll see how much different this roster looks.