The St. Louis Blues played well last week, with a 2-1-1 record, after they started with an ugly loss at home to the Ottawa Senators. Clearly, the team still has varying issues, but their goal-scoring came back to life.
The Blues have found something in Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, and their newfound stardom was on display over the weekend. They still have to play a full 60 minutes, which has been a clear issue of late, but they found part of their game last week.
Buchnevich Suffers Injury Versus Senators
Pavel Buchnevich missed three of the four games last week after taking a heavy, high hit from Senators forward Austin Watson and appeared to have suffered a concussion. Whether the hit was dirty or not, let’s just remember that Watson was suspended earlier in the season for a similar hit.
The Blues don’t play until Thursday this week, so there should be plenty of time for him to rest up. He has been one of the most impactful forwards on the team this season. His ability to play at both ends of the ice and the chemistry he’s developed with his teammates has been on display.
Related: Blues’ Pavel Buchnevich is Proving His Value in Multiple Ways
He has 46 points in 50 games, which is just two shy of tying his career-high of 48 set with the New York Rangers last season. He was unable to play against his former team for the second time this season, but the Blues still won 6-2. Either way, they need Buchnevich to get healthy and back on the ice as soon as possible for the stretch run.
Schenn Tallies 500th Career Point
It’s been quite the career for Brayden Schenn, and he has gained some scoring momentum since being dealt to the Blues from the Philadelphia Flyers. He is now in his fifth season with the team, scoring 255 of his 503 career points. He scored his 500th point with an assist on a David Perron goal against the Rangers.
Schenn has started to return to form after dealing with injuries earlier in the season, as he now has five points in his last three games. He has played well since transitioning back to center – he’s always been better down the middle than on the wing. A healthy Schenn is a massive part of the Blues’ forward group.
Thomas Finally Shooting the Puck
Blues fans have rightfully griped about Robert Thomas not shooting the puck enough, and now he finally is. He didn’t play in their Sunday overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets, but before that, he scored four goals and two assists in two games against the Rangers and Nashville Predators.
Thomas has emerged as one of the most electric playmaking forwards on the Blues and now has a career-high in goals, assists, and points. Staying mostly healthy has been massive, and when he’s playing with Vladimir Tarasenko or Kyrou, they have generated a lot of quality scoring chances.
It seems as if the nucleus of the Blues’ roster moving forward will be built around Thomas and Kyrou as they are two of the most dynamic offensive playmakers that general manager Doug Armstrong has drafted in recent seasons. If Thomas continues to consistently shoot the puck, it should open up the ice for his incredible passing ability to make even more plays. Needless to say, the best days are ahead for Thomas and his linemates.
The Week Ahead
- Thursday: vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 PM
- Saturday: at Columbus Blue Jackets, 4 PM
The Blues will play two Eastern Conference opponents this week, both of which for the second time this season. They currently sit at 34-17-8 and second in the Central Division with 76 points. They lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in their first matchup with them and beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3 in November. This should be a lighter week of hockey for the Blues, but they need to get healthy again and start to roll.