St Louis Blues on The Hockey News

Brayden Schenn went through the longest goal drought of his NHL career earlier this season, going 16 games without scoring.

When the St. Louis Blues captain scored twice against the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 30, 2023 nobody expected Jan. 9 to be the next time he would light the lamp.

Blues player to watch vs. Rangers: Brayden Schenn (2:47)

Well, if Schenn doesn't score against the New York Rangers on Saturday, he will match that futile feat, something even more surprising at this point.

Schenn last lit the lamp Jan. 28 when he scored the overtime game-winner in a 4-3 win against the Los Angeles Kings, which was 15 games ago, but now that the trade deadline has come and gone and players know what the lineup will be and who is staying, and more importantly, who isn't going, the rest of the season, the Blues (32-28-3) know what's at stake, they know the task at hand, and once again, they need secondary scoring to help get them out of their inconsistent ways.

Schenn, who had an assist in a 5-2 win against the Rangers Jan. 11, has led this group by example with his play off the puck and doing the small things the right way. He now needs to make a difference on the score sheet, and with the tensions a bit more relieved now with 19 games remaining and the Blues trailing the Western Conference wild card by six points, it's time to make that difference.

This is a spot for him to do that with the Rangers likely to pay plenty of attention on the Pavel Buchnevich-Robert Thomas-Jordan Kyrou line, which accounted for eight points (four goals, four assists) in the first meeting.

Schenn has 22 points in 36 games against the Rangers, the most of any Blues player on the roster, and as tonight's player to watch, for the Blues to come out of Madison Square Garden with a win, they'll need more from those not on the top line.

Doug Armstrong was hopeful that the St. Louis Blues could add, albeit small addition(s), and not subtract by Friday's NHL Trade Deadline.

Well, the Blues general manager did neither, outside of a minor league deal sending American Hockey League goalie Malcolm Subban to the Columbus Blue Jackets for future considerations.

And it was all predicated by one game, or that's at least when the thinking pivoted for the Blues (32-28-3), who sit six points outside of the Western Conference wild card with 19 games remaining.

"When the bottom fell out for me was that Nashville game at home (on Feb. 17, a 5-2 loss)," Armstrong said. "We were flat in Toronto (Feb. 13), tired. I sort of understood that. Some nights you just don't have your legs, but we came home, we had Nashville, I think we were four points up, we had a couple games in hand. We knew we were going to get a tiger by the tail. They got thumped at home 9-2 by Dallas, they had internal strife as far as vacations and what they were going to do and concerts. They made a statement that they weren't happy. I thought if we had won that game, if we rose up to that challenge, then all of the sudden you're six up, their problems haven't gone away and you still have games in hand. They found a way to win that game and they've gone on a massive heater since then and that started our massive slide.

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"I wish I had an answer to why we weren't up to the challenge that day and then a week later you go up to Detroit, national televised game and we didn't have the effort we had hoped to have (a 6-1 loss). We're always searching for why these things are happening."

The Blues were on their best stretch of hockey prior to and coming out of the All-Star break having won seven of eight, and their only loss was an uninspiring 1-0 home loss against lowly Columbus prior to the break. They came out of the break and won back-to-back games against Buffalo and Montreal but have since gone 4-7-1 to being on the outside looking in on the wild card race.

"When we made a coaching change (from Craig Berube to Drew Bannister on Nov. 14), we saw that bump, but it wasn't just a bump in the record, it was a bump in play," Armstrong said. "We were playing more direct hockey, getting pucks behind people, making them work 200 feet, getting traffic. You can correlate our slides to too much east-west play, too many offensive zone turnovers, not making defenders turn. If you look at, not just the fancy stats, look at the normal stats, shots attempted, shots on net, slot shots, when we're in a bad stretch, you go to those stats and they'll tell you why you're in a bad stretch."

So the Blues went from being buyers to sellers to nothing.

They remain status quo for the rest of the season playing with a veteran roster that has underachieved the past two years. The bright spot is that some of the younger players, such as Jake Neighbours, Scott Perunovich, Joel Hofer, Alexey Toropchenko, Matthew Kessel, Zack Bolduc and others have shown at the very least, glimpses to strong play, what the future holds.

But that future will now be the key to seeing what the roster looks like in the immediate future as the Blues stick to the course of building with their own players.

"It's too early to speculate on what will happen in May, June or July," Armstrong said. "I think that a reality check of where we are today happened around the league and in our locker room. Players are now down to one-quarter of the season to prove their worth to themselves, to their teammates, to the management and to the rest of the league. It's too early to tell how this is going to play itself out because we still have a quarter of the year left."

It's going to be a hard sell to fans if the Blues stick to a similar roster for 2024-25, but Armstrong is determined to make this a long haul fix and not a short one.

"Well, I think that all depends on where you are as an organization," he said. "When you have a long term plan and you want to stay to that plan, it can't fluctuate with July 1. It can't fluctuate with the trade deadline. It can't fluctuate on certain dates where other teams may be active. My belief is you have to stay somewhat consistent to what you're plan is. I understand when you see what Edmonton did, or what Vegas is doing, or what Vancouver is doing, what Dallas is doing, what Winnipeg did, and Colorado did ... you're like, 'What is this guy, sleeping? How come he's not in on these deals?' But those deals didn't make sense with where we are today or where we want to get to.

"Why we didn't get assets for certain things, that's a legitimate thing, and, quite honestly, we weren't offered. So, I do understand fans' frustration, but I have to stay consistent with the plan that is going to hopefully make these fans happy for a long time. I'm fortunate in our ownership structure, they'd like to see us be competitive over a large window then over a year or two, and they're willing to give us the opportunity to do it. I know they don't expect this to last forever, nor do we, and we have to just keep working toward that. I wish I could paint it in a lighter, brighter way for our fanbase. It's just the reality that it's not as far away as you think it is, but it sure feels like it."

Related: Buchnevich remains with Blues, Armstrong open to extension talks in summer

Related: Blues stay silent on Trade Deadline Day; Pavel Buchnevich biggest fish in rumor mill remains with team

The day came and went without a whimper for the St. Louis Blues.

The NHL Trade Deadline Day once again had a flurry of moves, including a number of former Blues that have been moved in the past three days, including Vladimir Tarasenko (Florida Panthers), Pat Maroon (Boston Bruins), Joel Edmundson (Toronto Maple Leafs), Jake Allen (New Jersey Devils), Klim Kostin (San Jose Sharks) and Erik Johnson (Philadelphia Flyers), but the Blues (32-28-3), who are six points out of the Western Conference wild card trailing the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, remained quiet.

"I thought there might be a little activity, but we were very quiet ... I wouldn't say the whole time, but I think our play in the last two weeks has put us in a situation where ... you're heavily scouted the last couple of weeks before the trade deadline (and) we haven't played very good," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said via Zoom. "It takes a little more fortitude for a pro scout to recommend someone, so this year, we were coming out of the All-Star break hoping to maybe add a piece at some point. We played two really good games, won two games and then quite honestly, the bottom fell out. So we were listening to potentially adding but weren't going to go too crazy and then the market for players, interest in our players wasn't there."

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Forward Pavel Buchnevich isn't a pending unrestricted free agent, but the rumor mill has been filled with his name the past couple weeks, and Armstrong has actually indicated he's open to talking contract extension with Buchnevich beginning July 1 when he's eligible to do so. That left only defenseman Marco Scandella and forwards Sammy Blais, Kasperi Kapanen and Jakub Vrana, who's playing in the American Hockey League, as the lone UFA's that could potentially have been had at the deadline, which came and went on Friday at 2 p.m. (CT).

"I don't want to get into specific conversations, but there was just nothing that transpired today with any of our guys," Armstrong said.

So the Blues, who continue their road trip Saturday against the New York Rangers, will plod along with what they have in hopes they can stay relevant for the remaining 19 games and give themselves a chance.

"I haven't given up hope on this year," Armstrong said. "People probably think I'm crazy, but I learned that from (former Blues GM) Larry Pleau. I think it was my first year here (in 2010), we had lost a lot of guys and I think it might have been [Paul] Kariya that went out, we were in Washington and I was like, 'Wow, this might be a long year,' and that team wound up making the playoffs. Chris Mason came in, the goalie, the guys had a ton of fun together, they enjoyed winning and it went on and on.

"I hope our guys find a little bit of joy back in the game. Right now when you're around our group, there doesn't look like a lot of joy, there doesn't look like there's a lot of excitement to have this job. I understand that it is a job, but there's a point where in my mind ... you do all the work in June and July and August. You get up, you train early, you take care of yourselves, you say no to a party, you go home early from a party, you get up because you want to have fun in March and April, May and June. This is the time of year where I hope our players find it being the most enjoyable. You should come to the rink with a smile on your face, with the desire and excitement to compete. For whatever reason, we haven't had that desire and compete the last little while. I hope they can find it back because it should be a joyful time. As far as competing, we walked about what does a successful season look like. Part of it is wins and losses. No question that's a big part of it, but when you're going through a change, you want to see growth.

"... We're seeing some positives in some of our developing players. Right now with our roster the way it is, we will likely see another player or two get an opportunity from the American Hockey League this year. That's a positive part. After we have the full 82 games and whatever else may or may not come after that to evaluate on what we need to do next year, but we're going chart that, we're going to stay on that course that we've charted, we're going to live with the kidney blows and the punches and the hard days because we want to stay true to that vision that we have of building around and getting back to that competitive team. Not for a year but for a number of years."

The Blues did get one minor deal done when they traded Springfield goalie Malcolm Subban to the Columbus Blue Jackets for future considerations.

That trade was done two-fold. One, the emergence of Colten Ellis, and Vadim Zherenko is now healthy and Armstrong said he wanted to see the seventh-round pick in 2019 take the reigns and not have that veteran safety net (Subban) there. He wants to see Zherenko and Ellis tag-team and help lead the Thunderbirds in their push for the playoffs.

Related: Buchnevich remains with Blues, Armstrong open to extension talks in summer

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Doug Armstrong wouldn't say whether there was interest in Pavel Buchnevich leading up to Friday's NHL Trade Deadline, but the St. Louis Blues general manager indicated he's been very pleased with the forward's play and is interested in a contract extension.

The forward wasn't moved, and Buchnevich's name had been rumored for weeks now leading up to Friday's 2 p.m. (CT) as a potential trade candidate, and the reasons being that Buchnevich, who leads the Blues with 24 goals this season, has one more year on his current four-year, $23.2 million contract he signed following being traded to the Blues by the New York Rangers on July 27, 2021.

Blues Pavel Buchnevich update (3-8-24) (5:07)

"Like all of our players, he's eligible for a contract extension on July 1st," Armstrong said via Zoom on Friday. "There's no real rush to get the cart ahead of that horse. We're going to play the season out. Obviously he's been nothing but a pleasant player since he's been here. He's been a top player for us, he performs well every night, he's a player that has stature in the league and stature on our team. He's a valuable piece of our team right now and in July, we can sit down with he and his representative and make sure that he wants to be here and we can work something out."

Sure, that will of course depend on Buchnevich's feelings about the organization and if he would entertain testing the free agent waters next summer or want to stay in St. Louis. But Buchnevich, who has a modified 12-team, no-trade clause in his current contract, has been exceptional in his three years in St. Louis; he has 191 points (80 goals, 111 assists) in 197 regular-season games having solid chemistry primarily playing with Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. But this is heading towards the second straight year without the playoffs for the Blues (32-28-3), who are six points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the second wild card from the Western Conference.

The feeling is Buchnevich, who carries a very reasonable $5.8 million average annual value on his contract, could command in the neighborhood, give or take, of $7.5-$8.5 million on a new contract and the Blues wouldn't want to afford it when he's 30 when a new contract would kick in, but that's not the indication Armstrong gave.

"I've been a big fan of Buchnevich since he's got here," Armstrong said. "He's in that echelon of players that takes up a large chunk of your cap for a reason. He's a top-end player, not a superstar player, not a Connor [McDavid] or a Leon [Draisaitl], but he's in a tier where he makes teams better. He's a player I have a ton of respect for and I look forward to chatting with him."

Now, we wait.

What happens next is anybody's guess?

After another uninspiring 4-1 loss against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Thursday, the Blues (32-28-3) will most likely lose ground (Thursday's games weren't completed by this publication's posting) in the Western Conference wild card race. They came in trailing the Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings all by six points with now 19 games remaining.

A plethora of trades have already been made since Wednesday, big-name players on the move, but the Blues have so far been quiet, and that's nothing new for Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, who has on a number on occasions, whether buying or in this case, selling, has been willing to play the waiting game.

As for anything happening, it's been relatively hush on what Armstrong may or may not have on the burner. Pavel Buchnevich's game has been dropped most as a potential to be on the move. I still don't believe he will move, but the ones that should probably be moved, all have full no-trade clauses, so not really sure what can be peddled at this point except pending unrestricted free agents Marco Scandella, Sammy Blais and Kasperi Kapanen.

Scandella may net you a lower-tiered draft pick, but who wants the other two?

So I really believe, and that may change between now and 2 p.m. Friday, is that this roster won't change much, if at all, until the off-season.

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Armstrong is someone that's intrigued by hockey trades, and those are hard to make -- although Colorado and Buffalo pulled one off with Casey Mittelstadt for Bowen Byram on Wednesday -- this time of season, but they happen in the off-season.

Now is not the time or place to decipher what they may or may not do, but one thing is certain, the Blues can't win with this roster, and that point was made clear after the 4-2 loss against the New York Islanders on Tuesday. 

As for Thursday, the Blues showed no desperation -- again. Their first period was pretty abysmal. They fell behind 2-0 against a Devils team that had lost three in a row and was playing a goalie (Nico Daws) that, before Thursday, had save percentages of .692, .714, .935, .885, .722 and .729 in his past six starts, and the lone game over .900 was against the last-place San Jose Sharks.

Brandon Saad scored the only goal, Jordan Binnington (29 saves) did what he could (again) to keep this team in the game, but the goalie can't skate out and try to make a tape-to-tape pass, he can't go out and make responsible puck plays and not turn it over, whether in the offensive zone or the d-zone. It's the players on the ice that dictate what they do and it's been the same thing: some guys want to forecheck, some want to play east-west and it makes everything look discombobulated. 

Once Friday at 2 p.m. comes and goes, then everyone will know what group will be here the rest of the season, but until then, we sit and wait and wonder.

Will it change now or will it change in the off-season, but regardless of when it changes, it needs to.

Related: COLUMN: If it wasn't evident before, it clearly is now...the Blues just aren't good enough, now they have to unwrap this flawed roster and sell off what they can

With a stagnant offense, St. Louis Blues interim coach Drew Bannister will give his top six a tweaked look entering the third game of a five-game road trip on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils (6 p.m.; BSMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).

Morning skate report vs. Devils (3-7-24) (1:49)

Brandon Saad will move up to play with Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, and Pavel Buchnevich slides down to skate with Brayden Schenn and Jake Neighbours to try and infuse something from a stagnant, inconsistent offense.

The Blues (32-27-3) enter the game six points behind the Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings for the two wild card spots in the Western Conference. And much like their counterparts in the New York Islanders on Tuesday, who are battling for a wild card spot and third place in the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, the Devils (30-28-4), playing the second game under interim coach Travis Green after Lindy Ruff was fired on Monday, are eight points behind the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning in the wild card in the East.

Other lineup changes for the Blues include Jordan Binnington, 2-0-1 with a 1.59 goals-against average and .949 save percentage his past three starts, will be back in goal, and Scott Perunovich replaces Tyler Tucker on the blue line.

- - -

The Blues' projected lineup:

Brandon Saad-Robert Thomas-Jordan Kyrou

Jake Neighbours-Brayden Schenn-Pavel Buchnevich

Zachary Bolduc-Kevin Hayes-Kasperi Kapanen

Nathan Walker-Oskar Sundqvist-Alexey Toropchenko

Nick Leddy-Colton Parayko

Torey Krug-Justin Faulk

Marco Scandella-Scott Perunovich

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Sammy Blais, Nikita Alexandrov and Tyler Tucker. The Blues report no injuries.

- - -

The Devils' projected lineup:

Timo Meier-Nico Hischier-Tyler Toffoli

Jack Hughes-Erik Haula-Jesper Bratt

Chris Tierney-Curtis Lazar-Dawson Mercer

Kurtis MacDermid-Tomas Nosek-Alexander Holtz

Jonas Siegenthaler-John Marino

Kevin Bahl-Brendan Smith

Luke Hughes-Colin Miller

Nico Daws will start in goal; Akira Schmid will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Simon Nemec and Nick DeSimone. Dougie Hamilton (pectoral muscle) and Vitek Vanecek (lower body) are out; Ondrej Palat (lower body) is questionable.

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Despite his name being all over trade rumors leading into Friday's NHL Trade Deadline, St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich continues to produce.

Blues player to watch vs. Devils: Pavel Buchnevich (2:11)

Buchnevich, who leads the Blues with 24 goals, doesn't have a point the past three games, and surely his name being dropped every which way he turns as a potential trade candidate, has to be having some sort of affect on his game, but prior to that, had eight points, including seven goals, in seven games.

Tonight against the New Jersey Devils, Buchnevich will slide down and play with Brayden Schenn and Jake Neighbours and try to boost a secondary line that has been stagnant; Schenn has gone 14 games without scoring.

Buchnevich, knowing the Devils quite a bit from his days with the New York Rangers, has 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) in 25 games against New Jersey and I'd expect no less from him tonight trying to help keep the Blues (32-27-3) afloat in the Western Conference playoffs.

Take Oskar Sundqvist off the board for the St. Louis Blues.

The 29-year-old, a pending unrestricted free agent, is staying in St. Louis after the Blues announced a two-year extension worth $3 million ($1.5 million average annual value) to remain with the Blues.

Oskar Sundqvist to stay with Blues (3-7-24) (2:27)

“Obviously I’m super happy to get a deal done and get to stay in St. Louis," Sundqvist said Thursday. "I’m very excited right now."

Sundqvist is in his second stint with the Blues after signing a one-year, $775,000 contract on June 23, 2023.

“Yeah, it’s crazy how it turned out," Sundqvist said. "I’ve always been happy to be here and playing for the Blues. That was my goal to stay here. Having those conversations with 'Army', knowing that he wanted me to stay too, made it a lot easier. We had really good conversations yesterday and both said what we wanted and how we felt. I’m super excited to stay for two more years hopefully."

Sundqvist has 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 62 games and has stayed healthy and been a glue guy from the moment he came to the Blues in 2017.

"It’s been feeling like a good year for me and I’ve been healthy," Sundqvist said. "No injuries and stuff like that. It’s been a good year feeling healthy and fresh.

"I got a full summer with working and no rehab probably for the first time in three or four years. So you’re just getting that full summer to prepare and come into the season as good as I can. I think that really helped."

The Blues traded, along with defenseman Jake Walman and a 2023 second-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings for Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski on March 21, 2022.

Sundqvist, who was an important part of the Blues winning the Stanley Cup in 2019 playing an important role on the fourth line with Alexander Steen and Ivan Barbashev, was traded to the Minnesota Wild from the Red Wings at the trade deadline last year before coming back to St. Louis in a bit of a prove-yourself type of year before being rewarded to stay in what he's always considered a second home.

"Yeah, it’s crazy to say that I’m one of the older guys," Sundqvist said. "I think for me, more is showing with my game and leading the group that way on the ice. Just showing the young guys what made St. Louis successful in the past and what kind of game you need to play to be successful. Me and 'Army' have talked about that before, and we talked about it again yesterday. I know what he wants from me, he made that very clear and simple. I just want to show with my game what it is to be a Blue."

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong likely gave Sundqvist the option of moving on to a contending team should be want to go try and win somewhere else, but that obviously wasn't what Sundqvist wanted.

The Blues (32-27-3) entered Thursday six points out of the Western Conference wild card chase heading into their matchup against the New Jersey Devils.

"Yeah, we’re still in it, and getting a good run here and finding our game, if we can do that and get some wins, I’m pretty sure we can make the playoffs," Sundqvist said. "When we play our game that we know we can play, we’re a very good hockey team. We’ve been a little bit too inconsistent with it and gotten away from what we need to do to be successful. I think it’s just trying to find a groove and find our game, and if we do that, we can have a really good chance."

Sundqvist's girlfriend, Blake, is from St. Louis and probably is as excited, if not more, than the center is.

"I think Blake. She’s very excited to be staying in St. Louis and be home with your family," Sundqvist said. "I think she’s more excited, but obviously we both are."

Vladimir Tarasenko is on the move again.

The former St. Louis Blues winger and first-round pick in 2010 was traded on Wednesday from the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers for three picks, including a 2024 fourth-round pick which becomes a 2026 third round pick if the Panthers win the Stanley Cup and 2025 third-round pick. Ottawa will retain 50 percent of Tarasenko's contract:

📰 Read more: https://t.co/rpDm1XLf5A

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 6, 2024

Tarasenko, who signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Senators this past off-season with a full no-trade clause, has always had a fondness for Florida. He makes an off-season home there, has trained there for a number of years, even going back to his days with the Blues and is close friends with Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Florida was a favorite destination when Tarasenko hit the free agent market last summer but in the end, he signed a one-year deal with the Senators.

Tarasenko, 32, spent the first 10-plus seasons of his NHL career in St. Louis before he was traded to the New York Rangers along with defenseman Niko Mikkola on Feb. 9 for a package that included forward Sammy Blais, defenseman Hunter Skinner, a conditional first-round pick in 2023 and a fourth-round pick in 2024.

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Tarasenko, who will be reunited with Mikkola in Florida, had 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists) in 57 games with the Senators this season; he won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 and had 553 points (262 goals, 191 assists) in 644 regular-season games with the Blues.

Tarasenko, who was teammates with Brady Tkachuk this season in Ottawa, now trades in brothers and will team up with Brady's older brother Matthew Tkachuk in Florida.

The Panthers are currently on top of the NHL standings with 90 points (43-16-4) and are a favorite to repeat as, at least, Eastern Conference champions, and are a favorite to win the Stanley Cup. They lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games last season in the Cup Final and this move will bolster an already potent offense. 

I remember going back to Feb. 16, just 18 days ago, when the St. Louis Blues had a four-point lead for the second wild card in the Western Conference. I was sitting in my living room and kept thinking to myself, 'Even as flawed as this roster is, it can really get a bit of a stranglehold on this spot and turn many doubters, myself included, into believers.' 

I still had my doubts because I've been doing this long enough to understand what a, forget just being a playoff roster, I understand what a Stanley Cup contender is. But a regulation win on Feb. 17, at home mind you, against the Nashville Predators would have put the Blues six points ahead with two games in hand. Six. And the chance to increase it to 10 if they made good on their games in hand would have presented quite the feat.

Jake Neighbours (63) and Alexey Toropchenko celebrate a goal against the New York Islanders on Tuesday. 

Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

I understand there would still be roughly two months left to play and anything can happen -- we all know that by the 2019 Blues -- but a 6-10 point margin would have put the Predators on a massive mission of having to play some serious winning hockey and hope that the Blues would falter, probably in the 70 percentile winning percentage, give or take, without doing the math.

And since that 5-2 loss, against a Nashville team that had just been embarrassed on home ice, 9-2 against the Dallas Stars, one in which their general manager, Barry Trotz, canceled a team function to go see U2 in concert in Las Vegas, in a span of 18 days, the Blues went from potentially being six points up, and potentially more, to now being six back.

Nashville has soared and grabbed the bull by the horns and taken charge since. The Predators reeled off eight straight wins beginning with battering the Blues until tonight when they lost in overtime, so they have a nine-game point streak, and the Blues, after squandering their second two-goal lead on the road in less than a week, losing to the New York Islanders 4-2 on Tuesday, are 3-5-1. Not exactly a group that's showing any playoff readiness.

But let's be realistic here, this isn't anything new. The Blues (32-27-3) were really playing on borrowed time. 

If not for the play of Jordan Binnington, with the help of Joel Hofer, this Blues team probably wouldn't be a whole lot better than the one last year that finished 37-38-7. They might still finish in that range this season. There's still 20 games left, but if they finish any better, it won't be a large upgrade.

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I go back to when Doug Armstrong fired Craig Berube and the coaching change was made. I said it then, I'll say it now: it's not the coach, it's the roster.

The Blues can take Scotty Bowman, Joel Quenneville, Ken Hitchcock, Trotz, and Al Arbour, some of the top-of-the-line winningest coaches in NHL history, roll them into one and I can't imagine they could get this roster to compete for a Stanley Cup.

It all boils down to looking at this group, and nobody is questioning their desire to win, but there simply are too many players that are playing too high up in the lineup. It's that simple. 

Aside from Robert Thomas, who is still continuing to develop and isn't in peak form yet as a top-end player, who else here is a top line forward? Pavel Buchnevich, the subject of a plethora of trade rumors, can be when called upon; same with Jordan Kyrou, but realistically, on a championship-caliber roster, those two are second-line wingers for me. Brandon Saad, who does a number of nice things, as does Brayden Schenn, who has shown signs of offensive decline this season, are third-line players playing the second line. And as much as I love the way Jake Neighbours is playing, ideally he'd be a perfect third-line winger that can one day move into a second-line role regularly at his peak.

But on Tuesday, the Blues had that trio playing as a second line. 

The third line, let's just not even include Zack Bolduc in this. He's still a puppy getting his feet wet in the NHL. The jury is still out on him. Kevin Hayes hasn't nearly put up the production to that of the player he supposedly replaced (Ryan O'Reilly, who by the way if thriving quite nicely in Nashville); Kasperi Kapanen is nothing more than a defensive checker with limited to little offense in his game, and that was the third line on Tuesday that probably resembles more of a fourth line. At least two of them.

Oskar Sundqvist, Alexey Toropchenko (God love that guy and the way he plays) and Nathan Walker, they're fit in the roles they belong in. The Blues have had to elevate ideally fourth-line guys up the lineup at times out of necessity, because they're so short-changed up there.

And as for the defensemen, Colton Parayko has shown up in large swaths this season, actually the majority of it, and has proven he has the capability of playing No. 1 defenseman minutes, but ideally, imagine how good the Blues would be if he was your No. 2 behind someone that was already an established No. 1 (I can't imagine who that once was here not too long ago ... hmm). Nick Leddy, on a Cup contending team now, is a second-pair d-man at best, ideally your third option from the left side but forced to play top-end minutes because the Blues don't have a true No. 1 from that side. When was the last true left-handed No. 1-type d-man they had? Was it Chris Pronger off the top of my head? Maybe I missed someone, but he popped up in my thoughts. Maybe there was another one and I'll update this if I can think of one. Justin Faulk and Torey Krug are what they are, and that's no better than where they're playing in the lineup, and Marco Scandella, I'll be shocked if he's here past Friday, and if not then, he'll move on this summer as an unrestricted free agent, but he's what he is, a third-pair d-man.

The Blues do have a backbone, a true No. 1 goalie in Jordan Binnington. I know the so-called stat geeks like to pull out their little hand-held robots or whatever it is they use to compute numbers and downplay how good this guy has been for the Blues, and sure, he had declined play after winning the Cup in 2019, but if not for the play of these goalies this season, I really think we'd be talking about the Blues being another lottery team. And going back to the 2022 playoffs, Binnington's play to me, has risen since then.

Look, I get there are some really nice pieces coming into this franchise in the not-too-distant future. There will be fun times again at 1401 Clark Ave., but for a team that is holding for that future and not wanting to tear it completely down -- like the Chicago Blackhawks have -- and trying to stay competitive in the moment, this is on the cusp of being two straight missed opportunities to be a Stanley Cup playoff team for the first time since 2010 and 2011. If that happens, it's going to be a hard sell to this passionate fan base to try and run a similar roster back out there for a third straight time in 2024-25 waiting for the Snuggeruds, the Deans, the Dvorskys, the Stenbergs, the Lindsteins, even the Bolducs to make an impact one day.

Blues center Robert Thomas is one of a few foundational pieces for the franchise. The center is one of a few untouchables on the St. Louis roster with Friday's NHL Trade Deadline looming.

Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

If the 'For Sale' sign wasn't up for Armstrong after that Nashville loss less than three weeks ago, it should be now after this latest loss on Tuesday. There's one game to go on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils before trades have to be done by 2 p.m. (CT) on Friday. But to be honest, as I pointed out in the column I wrote when Berube was fired, Armstrong has backed himself into a corner with all these no-trade clauses that he can't rid himself of now; he can't at least until the summer of 2025 when full NTC's become limited NTC's.

So I ask again: if Armstrong can't alter this roster now or this off-season, are you, Blues fans, willing to absorb another year of mediocrity? I'm not so sure you are, and I'm not so sure ownership would be either, especially with another showcase game on tap next season with the 2025 Winter Classic against the Blackhawks.

In my opinion, I'm listening on everyone on the current roster except for Thomas and Neighbours. I'm not trading Parayko, but I'm listening. I'm not trading Binnington but I'm listening. Of course I'm listening on Buchnevich, and I'm sure Armstrong has but honestly, I'm not trading him either, and I'll discuss why in a piece I'll have if the situation presents itself. 

I've heard there are a number of burners going under the skillets leading into Friday. Let's see where it all leads for the time being. Armstrong has his work cut out for him. It will be interesting to see how he proceeds with this roster, but he definitely shouldn't be adding to it, because this roster is nowhere near being a Cup contender. 

He created it, now he has to somehow undo it.

The St. Louis Blues get right back at it on their longest road trip of the season, this time against the New York Islanders at 6:30 p.m. (BSMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).

The Blues (32-26-3) got off on the right foot -- thanks to goalie Jordan Binnington -- on Monday in a 2-1 shootout win against the Philadelphia Flyers, a game in which Binnington made 40 saves, including 20 in the third period and overtime alone. It was just the sixth win of the season (7-24-2) when the Blues won a game in which they didn't score first.

Morning skate report vs. Islanders (3-5-24) (3:16)

Kevin Hayes ended his 19-game goal drought with the lone goal in regulation, and then Jake Neighbours and Pavel Buchnevich scored shootout goals to improve the Blues to 2-0-1 in the past three games, pulling them within five points of both Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings for the two Western Conference wild card spots.

They'll have to find the legs quickly here going against the Islanders (26-20-14), who are also like the Blues on the outside looking in for a wild card in the Eastern Conference, six points behind the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning and also six points behind the Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

So there will be a lot on the line when the puck drops tonight at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. against an Islanders team that has won three straight.

There is also some fresh memories from the Islanders perspective when the Blues used a record-setting 32-second stretch in the second period to score three times, and it was a hat trick kind of night for Buchnevich in a 4-0 Blues win on Feb. 22.

The Team did not skate Tuesday morning, but with the workload Binnington, who has a 1.59 goals-against average and .949 save percentage in his last three starts, got last night, it's expected that Joel Hofer will get the start.

Interim coach Drew Bannister will speak at 4:20 p.m. (CT) and update the lineup.

- - -

From an Islanders perspective, former Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo (lower-body injury) remains sidelined, and Webster Groves native Scott Mayfield was placed on long-term injured reserve today with a lower-body injury of his own.

- - -

The Blues' projected lineup:

Pavel Buchnevich-Robert Thomas-Jordan Kyrou

Brandon Saad-Brayden Schenn-Jake Neighbours

Zachary Bolduc-Kevin Hayes-Kasperi Kapanen

Nathan Walker-Oskar Sundqvist-Alexey Toropchenko

Nick Leddy-Colton Parayko

Torey Krug-Justin Faulk

Marco Scandella-Scott Perunovich

Joel Hofer is projected to start in goal; Jordan Binnington would be the backup.

Healthy scratches would include Sammy Blais, Tyler Tucker and Nikita Alexandrov. The Blues report no injuries.

- - -

The Islanders' projected lineup:

Brock Nelson-Bo Horvat-Mathew Barzal

Pierre Engvall-Casey Cizikas-Simon Holmstrom

Anders Lee-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Kyle Palmieri

Matt Martin-Kyle MacLean-Cal Clutterbuck

Adam Pelech-Noah Dobson

Alexander Romanov-Ryan Pulock

Mike Reilly-Sebastian Aho

Ilya Sorokin will start in goal; Semyon Varlamov will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Samuel Bolduc and Oliver Wahlstrom. Scott Mayfield (lower body), Robert Bortuzzo (lower body) and Hudson Fasching (upper body) are out.

Related: Player to watch vs. Islanders: Colton Parayko

Colton Parayko has been called upon time and time again this season.

And the St. Louis Blues' top defenseman has answered the bell countless times.

Blues player to watch vs. Islanders: Colton Parayko (2:21)

Jordan Binnington was terrific for the Blues (32-26-3) in Monday's 2-1 shootout win against the Philadelphia Flyers, but Parayko was right there behind him.

Parayko, who needs one goal to tie his career-high (10), was involved heavily on both the offensive and defensive side of the ice Monday; he had three shots on goal but had eight shots in all (five were blocked), four hits and three blocked shots of his own.

He played as well positionally as he had all season and will need to be that player again tonight against an Islanders team that has won three in a row, including an impressive 5-1 win against the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

The Islanders are rested, they will want to come out fast and furious. Joel Hofer is projected to get the start between the pipes and Parayko, along with partner Nick Leddy, will need to lead that defensive unit should the Blues find a way to get two more points. He was a plus-2 in 22:19 when the Blues blanked the Islanders 4-0 on Feb. 22 and they will need a similar performance and the Blues' player to watch.

Related: (3-5-24) Blues-Islanders Gameday Lineup

St. Louis Blues interim coach Drew Bannister made mention after a 3-1 win against the Minnesota Wild that they have to go on a run here with time winding down to the 2023-24 season, and games dwindling in the process as they try and chase down a wild card spot in the Western Conference.

Blues-Flyers takeaways (3-4-24) (5:11)

The Blues certainly aren't making it easy on themselves, but if they continue to get the kind of goaltending Jordan Binnington gave them in a 2-1 shootout win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Monday, they'll give themselves a fighter's chance down the stretch.

Binnington, who made 40 saves in the game, was exceptional; Kevin Hayes scored in his return to Philadelphia and while Binnington was making 20 saves in the third period and overtime, Jake Neighbours and Pavel Buchnevich scored shootout goals for the Blues (32-26-3), who are 2-0-1 the past three games and moved within five points of both the Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings.

Let's break down the game as it happened:

* First Period -- We all know the Flyers are a stingy defensive team, but right off the hop, the Blues had some opportunities with some odd-man rushes, and Robert Thomas kept one off a 2-on-1 with Buchnevich and forced a save by Samuel Ersson, who was also solid in what turned out to be a goalie's duel.

Not only was Binnington good, but when you are good, you get some good fortune, and after Tyson Foerster skirted a sharp angle shot off the cross bar, Garnet Hathaway also introduced the puck to the bar at 7:31 from another tight angle. It was evident the Flyers, who like shot volume, wanted to test Binnington.

It was evident Hayes wanted something out of this game, and he made a little curl-and-drag move off the right that forced a save by Ersson at 8:56.

Then Jordan Kyrou and Buchnevich had a 2-on-1, with Kyrou feeding Buchnevich, who couldn't convert the empty-net backhand but it was evident why: he was slashed by Foerster that wasn't called, and on the rebound, Thomas had his effort trying to pot it into the empty cage blocked by Cam York, all at 11:50. So the Blues had their chances in the early going to establish a lead.

Hayes got his video tribute, and he even thought he would get booed, which he did, but not for the thanks for the past four seasons.

Welcome back, Hollywood! #STLvsPHI | @KevinPHayes12 pic.twitter.com/gISBSp8haV

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 5, 2024

Oskar Sundqvist took the game's first penalty, and there weren't a lot of them, for hooking at 12:33 but Philly's 31st-ranked power play didn't accomplish much.

Colton Parayko, who was exceptional in this game too tracking to pucks, moving it out of the zone under the Flyers' forecheck, made a really good positional play in not allowing Joel Farabee to gain an edge to the net, forcing the Flyers forward down to the ice at 17:35 that could have turned into a solid scoring opportunity.

The Blues had another chance to grab a lead, but Kyrou hit the post with 1:25 ona rebound attempt from the slot, and not long after, Scott Perunovich got caught on an offensive zone pinch that created a 2-on-1 for the Flyers, who made it count and went up 1-0 when Ryan Poehling's centering pass around Parayko caromed off Scott Laughton and into the net at 18:52.

The Flyers outshot the Blues 11-6, but it wasn't as deceptive as it looks because Philadelphia blocked 12 first-period shots, a precursor of things to come.

* Second Period -- The Flyers used the first few minutes of the period to play with the puck in the Blues' zone with cycles, a solid forecheck, puck retrievals and changes for fresh bodies to keep the Blues hemmed in, but Binnington kept the dam from breaking.

The Blues' top line with Thomas, Buchnevich and Kyrou had the best shift of the period  when Kyrou's attempt was gloved by Ersson at 7:47. They had sustained zone time for one of the few times in the game and were able to get the puck below the goal line and work.

The Blues got the first of their three power plays in the game when Nick Seeler was whistled for interference at 10:13, but Philadelphia's penalty kill, which is ranked No. 1 in the NHL, didn't give the Blues much breathing room. They were having trouble penetrating the blue line with the Flyers' aggressive approach there in not allowing clean zone entries.

And after the power play ended, Binnington was there to answer the bell on Foerster's chance from the low slot.

They'd go right back on the power play when Igor Zamula was called for holding at 12:41, but again, the Blues were having trouble gaining the zone until their second unit got on the ice and produced three shots.

The Blues would finally crack the Flyers' goal when Hayes scored his first in 20 games dating to Jan. 13 against the Boston Bruins on a breakaway, sprung by another former Flyer, Kasperi Kapanen. Hayes lost the puck going to his backhand but opened Ersson up enough for it to slide through the goalie's pads at 15:47.

They're not always pretty but they count just the same. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/ueOHnd2SBN

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 5, 2024

Kyrou and Buchnevich had it going in this game, and Ersson was forced into another save off a Kyrou pass to Buchnevich for a one-timer at 16:33.

The Blues outshot the Flyers 13-10 in the period and it was 21-20 Flyers after two in a 1-1 game.

* Third Period -- The Blues could thank Binnington for his play in the third because Philadelphia was able to play with the puck in St. Louis' end a lot. The Flyers outshot the Blues by a wide margin and the Blues didn't help themselves with broken plays out of the zone and the puck would get turned right back on them.

But Binnington, again, held the fort down.

Sundqvist would take his second penalty of the game, this time for slashing the stick out of Foerster's hands at 11:21, and despite a couple anxious moments where the Flyers would get two shots on goal and a good amount of zone time, the penalty kill got through it.

The Blues had one more golden chance with its power play at 15:14 when Marc Staal tripped Neighbours entering the o-zone blue line, but Philly showed again why its PK is ranked No. 1 in the NHL.

The Flyers outshot the Blues 14-6 in the third and each team was glad to get a point, with the Flyers holding a 35-25 edge through regulation.

* Overtime -- The Blues got what they wanted, winning the face-off and plenty of puck possession time. They had it for the first 1:39 and kept the Flyers trio on the ice tiring out but only were able to get one shot out of all of that possession, a Buchnevich drive from the high slot that was gobbled up by Ersson.

York nearly ended it with 1:03 left when he hit the cross bar after Brayden Schenn's stretch pass along the boards to Kyrou was intercepted.

Binnington's biggest save came against Travis Sanheim when he stopped the Flyers defenseman in alone with 11 seconds left, and the game would go to a shootout t ied 1-1 and the Flyers outshooting the Blues 41-26.

Binner was absolutely locked in tonight 🔒#stlblues | @pncbank pic.twitter.com/TBouhRTUYa

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 5, 2024

* Shootout -- It all came down to the skills competition, and Sean Couturier opened things for the Flyers and had a puck roll off his stick.

Thomas was up for the Blues and tried a couple quick moves in tight but couldn't lift a little forehand over Ersson's left pad.

Binnington made a save on Foerster, and Neighbours came in next and scored off the left to give the Blues a chance to win it if Binnington could stop Morgan Frost.

But Frost would beat Binnington between his arm and pad on the left side to tie it. But Schenn still had a chance to win it, but Ersson kicked up the right pad sprawled to the ice to send it to a sudden death.

Binnington was up to the challenge again, this time on Owen Tippett, who had 10 shots in a 4-2 win at St. Louis on Jan. 15, and Buchnevich had the chance to end it, and he did with a backhand play to improve to 3-for-10 in shootout attempts.

It all came down to this... #stlblues pic.twitter.com/DY6VKhDoV5

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 5, 2024

The win was the 800th in the career of Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, who earlier this season reached 1,000 games as a general manager in his NHL career. Armstrong became the 11th GM with 800 wins; he is also the third active, joining Lou Lamoriello of the New York Islanders (1,431) and Ken Holland of the Edmonton Oilers (1,133). Armstrong reached the milestone in 1,433 games, second-fastest after Holland (1,381 games).

Related: Blues player of the game vs. Flyers: Jordan Binnington

Related: Binnington sensational for Blues with 40 saves, three more in shootout; Hayes scores in return to Philadelphia of 2-1 win; breaking down the three keys

Sometimes, a team simply has to rely on its last line of defense.

Well, for the St. Louis Blues, they do it a number of times, and Monday was no exception.

Three keys in Blues' 2-1 shootout win against Flyers (3-4-24) (2:45)

Jordan Binnington was exceptional for the Blues, making 40 saves, six of which came in overtime and another 14 in the third period, and the goalie stopped three of four shootout attempts in a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center.

The goalie is the backbone to any successful team, and on nights like this where the Flyers, playing the third game in four nights, were the better team in the third period and created more scoring opportunities, and Binnington was up for each and every one.

Kevin Hayes ended his goal drought at 19 games, and of all places, he does it in the city he spent the past four seasons before being traded to the Blues on June 27, and then Jake Neighbours and Pavel Buchnevich did what they needed to do in the shootout to preserve the two points.

The Blues improved to 32-26-3, giving them 67 points and pull them within five of the two Western Conference wild card spots.

Let's take a look at three keys to improving to 2-0-1 the past three games:

1. Plenty o'saves from Jordan Binnington -- Let's face it, this was a goalie win for the Blues.

Binnington was razor sharp from start to finish, and the only goal that got past him late in the first period by Scott Laughton was one that pinballed in the crease and in.

Binnington had to be especially good in the third period when the Flyers were outshooting the Blues 14-6, and then he had to make six more saves in overtime, including one on Travis Sanheim with 11 seconds left right in front.

The Blues are trying to keep their playoff push alive, and Binnington made sure they stay above water with two more games left prior to the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline.

2. Hayes breaks his drought -- It had been so long since Hayes scored, it takes a few clicks to roll down his game long to find the last time he scored.

It came on Jan. 13 against the Boston Bruins, and goal No. 11 came at the most opportune time on Monday against his former team, making a visit to the building he called home for the first time since the Blues acquired Hayes for a 2024 sixth-round pick on June 27, 2023.

It wasn't the most effective move, as the puck rolled off Hayes' stick on a breakaway but it was enough to eek through Samuel Ersson's pads to tie the game at 15:47 of the second period, a game in which the Blues had trouble getting much sustained o-zone time.

3. Neighbours, Buchnevich clutch in SO -- When it comes down to the skills competition, it in fact does become crucial to make good on your opportunities, which Neighbours and Buchnevich did.

Neighbours made his count in the second round, giving him two goals in two shootout opportunities in his NHL career (he scored the game-winner in a 2-1 win at the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 6, and Buchnevich had a chance to win it in sudden death, which he did with a nifty backhand and give the Blues a second point in a game in which they probably wouldn't have collected under normal circumstances had it not been for their goaltending.

Related: Blues player of the game vs. Flyers: Jordan Binnington

The Hockey News Archive

Something about Wells Fargo Center that brings out the best in Jordan Binnington.

Of course it would, since his NHL career was for all intents and purposes born there on Jan. 7, 2019.

Blues player of the game vs. Flyers: Jordan Binnington (2:05)

On that night, Binnington made 25 saves in a 3-0 shutout that fueled the spark needed for that improbable run to the first Stanley Cup in St. Louis Blues franchise history.

Fast forward five years and change later to March 4, 2024 and in more spectacular fashion, Binnington saved the Blues' bacon once again.

The goalie recorded 40 saves, six of them in overtime, including one on Flyers defenseman-who-the-Blues-tried-to-make-their-defenseman-but-couldn't-acquire-him Travis Sanheim in alone with 11 seconds that gave the Blues a chance.

Binner was absolutely locked in tonight 🔒#stlblues | @pncbank pic.twitter.com/TBouhRTUYa

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 5, 2024

Sure, the post is always a friend of the goalie, but Binnington was under siege for swaths in that game when the Flyers had lengthy sustained zone pressure and the goalie was called into action.

We've called on Binnington's name a number of times this season, and Monday was no exception. 

Colton Parayko was terrific in the game as well, playing a game-high 27:41 and playing his position to a tee, but no Binnington in this game, the Blues (32-26-3) don't come close to getting two points.

Kevin Hayes returns.

The center, acquired by the St. Louis Blues from the Philadelphia Flyers on June 27 for a 2024 sixth-round pick, and of which the Flyers retained 50 percent of Hayes' remaining three years of a seven-year contract that carries a cap hit of $7,142,858, is likely to get the Philly treatment tonight, a chorus of boos but not for getting traded, but for the developments that ensued when a local reporter in Philadelphia made alleged comments that Hayes was the reason that Flyers traded Cutter Gauthier, the fifth pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, wouldn't sign a contract and basically forced a trade out of Philadelphia; he was ultimately dealt to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick on Jan. 8.

It was something Hayes publicly vehemently denied and was upset about, and Flyers coach John Tortorella defended Hayes in the process:

But surely there will be Flyers fans in attendance that will play on the rhetoric that came from the events of it all.

Hayes has 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 60 games with the Blues this season but has gone 19 straight games without scoring, his last coming Jan. 13 against the Boston Bruins.

He'd love to break that drought tonight. 

Stay tuned.

Morning skate report vs. Flyers (3-4-24) (3:51)

Also, how will Blues defenseman Torey Krug be received?

No, Krug has never played for the Flyers and won't be making any kind of return nor will he be getting any sort of tribute video, but Philly fans won't forget either that Krug nixed a trade to the Flyers that was supposed to be a bigger version with the Hayes trade that included Flyers Travis Sanheim coming to St. Louis for Krug and components.

Perhaps Flyers fans are more softened to the fact someone spurned a chance to go there with the way Sanheim has performed for the Flyers this season, but knowing the passion and letting their feelings known, it wouldn't shock to see when Krug is on the ice tonight or once he touches the puck, Philly fans will let the 32-year-old know how they feel.

Again ... stay tuned.

- - -

The Blues (31-26-3), who are seven points behind the Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings for the two wild card spots in the Western Conference, won't make any lineup changes tonight, and Jordan Binnington, who made 21 saves on Saturday in a 3-1 win against the Minnesota Wild, will start in goal. With a game against the New York Islanders on Tuesday, Joel Hofer would be projected as the starter but with the Blues now in full urgency mode, it's not out of the realm of possibility for Binnington to get back-to-back starts.

Again, and again, stay tuned!

That also means forward Kasperi Kapanen and defenseman Scott Perunovich, each a healthy scratch last week against the Edmonton Oilers, will be in the lineup tonight.

Each had a solid performance in Saturday's win.

"I thought Scott played well. I liked Kapi's game, I liked Scott's game," Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said. "I thought they responded well to not playing the last game. Going back to Winnipeg and going back to Edmonton, the guys that struggled in Detroit, we got a good response from them. Tonight was a good night for those players.

"I think when [Perunovich] has got the puck on his stick, he does a lot of good things. That was never the issue, but the competitive side, going back to get pucks under pressure, I thought he was more willing to do that."

- - -

The Blues' projected lineup:

Pavel Buchnevich-Robert Thomas-Jordan Kyrou

Zachary Bolduc-Brayden Schenn-Jake Neighbours

Brandon Saad-Kevin Hayes-Alexey Toropchenko

Nathan Walker-Oskar Sundqvist-Kasperi Kapanen

Nick Leddy-Colton Parayko

Torey Krug-Justin Faulk

Marco Scandella-Scott Perunovich

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Sammy Blais, Tyler Tucker and Nikita Alexandrov. The Blues report no injuries.

- - -

The Flyers' projected lineup:

Joel Farabee-Scott Laughton-Tyson Foerster

Owen Tippett-Morgan Frost-Cam Atkinson

Noah Cates-Ryan Poehling-Garnet Hathaway

Nicolas Deslauriers-Sean Couturier-Bobby Brink

Cam York-Travis Sanheim

Nick Seeler-Sean Walker

Egor Zamula-Marc Staal

Samuel Ersson will start in goal; Felix Sandstrom will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Olle Lycksell and Ronnie Attard. Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body), Travis Konecny (upper body) and Jamie Drysdale (upper body) are out.

The easy thing to do or tonight's St. Louis Blues player to watch would be to insert Kevin Hayes in here, since it's his first game back in Philadelphia to face the Flyers.

Blues player to watch vs. Flyers: Marco Scandella (3:00)

Yes, there will be enough attention on that, but with the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline fast approaching (Friday at 2 p.m. CT), this would be a good opportunity to put the spotlight on defenseman Marco Scandella.

The veteran has quietly had himself a steady, solid season with the Blues, playing in 55 games (two goals, six assists); he is even in the plus-minus category and is averaging 12:39 per game, which isn't a lot to be frothing at the mouth about, but the 34-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end and could be (and should be) on the table if general manager Doug Armstrong makes any purges to the roster by Friday.

The market for defensemen is always open, and Scandella, who does have a modified no-trade clause with seven-team protection, but for certain playoff hopefuls who may be looking for a depth piece and veteran experience on the blue line, it probably won't take but a fourth-round pick at the highest to say, a fifth- or sixth-rounder to fetch Scandella from St. Louis.

He's been playing on the third pair and doing a good job helping groom some of the Blues' younger blue liners, namely Scott Perunovich and Tyler Tucker, sprinkled in with some Matthew Kessel, throughout the season and has done well in that role.

The Hockey News Archive

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues played Game No. 60 on Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, and it had a playoff feel to it.

As a matter of fact, every game from here on out until that final regular season game in Dallas against the Stars on April 17 will have a playoff feel to it, or at least until the Blues (31-26-3) somehow get eliminated from the Western Conference wild card race.

It could still happen, and odds at the present time they still will being seven points behind the surging Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings, as the Blues open their longest road trip of the season beginning Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Oskar Sundqvist (70) and the Blues open a five-game road trip on Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

But their 3-1 win against the Wild was a must. Anything else would have dimmed the lights even more.

"Every point from here on out is extremely important if you want to get into the playoffs, especially how tight the race is right now, especially against a divisional opponent that you're battling with," said Blues forward Jake Neighbours after scoring his 20th goal Saturday. "That's a big win at home before a long road trip."

View the original article to see embedded media.

That's why Saturday's game had all the playoff feels without the playoff physicality to it. Neither team wanted to do something dumb -- although the Wild took seven minor infractions -- to jeopardize the two points on the night.

"Yeah, for us right now and for a lot of teams in our position, every point's important," Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said. "It's do-or-die hockey right now, it's playoff hockey. These are meaningful games. For us [Saturday], it's a step in the right direction. There were some positive things we can take from this game, but we have to get on a roll here. We have to play more consistently and go on the road because we have some good hockey teams in front of us and we're going to have to be better."

Besides the Flyers, it's an Eastern Conference feel to the trip that includes games against the New York Islanders on Tuesday, New Jersey Devils on Thursday before the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday, the New York Rangers on Saturday and the Boston Bruins March 11 to wrap it up.

By the end of the trip, the Blues will be down to 17 regular-season games remaining, 11 of them at Enterprise Center, and there's a sense of the magnitude now that games are into March that they have a great magnitude.

"Yeah, absolutely," said Blues defenseman Torey Krug, who had a goal and an assist. "Obviously, collecting points at this time of year, it’s going to try to close the gap as much as you can. When you’re playing head-to-head, it pushes one group down and the other one gets a boost moving forward up in the standings. Very important to collect those points."

The Blues, who have 65 points, know they can't control what those teams ahead of them, or what the teams around them (Calgary Flames, 65 points with 22 games remaining; Wild, 64 points with 20 games remaining; and Seattle Kraken, 63 points with 22 games remaining) are doing. So when Bannister says they have to get on a roll, it's obviously imperative.

"We need to care just about our team and how we play and don’t look at other teams," said Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko, who opened the scoring Saturday with his 10th goal of the season, tying a career-high set last season. "Just maybe before the games (to see) how they play, just to get to know a little (about the standings), but we need to focus on our game and play our way."

The Hockey News Archive

ST. LOUIS -- It's not always going to be pretty. 

When one wins, nobody cares.

That's how the St. Louis Blues feel after their 3-1 win against the Minnesota Wild.

Wild-Blues takeaways (3-2-24) (3:07)

It won't go up in any art gallery any time soon, but the two points gained by the Blues (31-26-3) keeps them in the Western Conference wild card race, now five points behind the Los Angeles Kings. They remain seven in back of the red-hot Nashville Predators, who have won eight in a row.

Torey Krug had a goal and an assist, Alexey Toropchenko and Jake Neighbours scored, and Jordan Binnington made 21 saves to move past Curtis Joseph for sole possession of third on the all-time wins among Blues goalies with 138.

Let's break the game down with takeaways from this victory:

* First Period -- The teams were kind of feeling each other out at the outset, and Minnesota wanted to be more mindful of its game after being blasted by the Predators, 6-1, on Thursday, and the Wild was.

But Toropchenko broke the ice when he was able to get a tip on Scott Perunovich's shot from the right point at 6:34 to make it 1-0, a puck that hit the near post, off Marc-Andre Fleury's left skate and trickled back across the line.

"Yeah, just go to the hard areas and try to park yourself in front of the goalie and create chaos," Toropchenko said. 'Just be smart to get into the right position where the 'D' can shoot for your stick, or you can tip it. Even without a tip, the puck will go into the net. Just need to go to the hard areas and play hard."

Perunovich shoots, Toropchenko scores!!! #stlblues

Watch on the Bally Sports app, brought to you by @BommaritoAuto. pic.twitter.com/DQxQk8CFQF

— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) March 2, 2024

Penalties were a theme in this game, and the Wild had a number of them, seven minors in all, and it started with Joel Eriksson Ek going off for tripping Perunovich at 13:29, and then Zach Bogosian going to the box for tripping at 14:50.

The Blues had the chance to build on their lead but after some good looks, they couldn't convert on the 39-second 5-on-3.

Binnington didn't see a ton of pucks in this game, but this little ticklish save with the knob of his stick to thwart Kirill Kaprizov late in the first period was crucial.

You might have Kaprizov, but we have Binnington. @pncbank | #stlblues pic.twitter.com/G7Pw9cjg7H

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 3, 2024

Justin Faulk would go to the box for holding at 18:50, but the Blues would carry a lead into the second; they outshot the Wild 8-7 in a rather dis-spirited opening 20.

* Second Period -- The Wild did not score on its power play that carried into the second but were all over the Blues early, and the Blues' bend-but-don't-break play finally broke when Jon Merrill tied it 1-1 at 10:06 on a seeing-eye shot as a result of Zachary Bolduc not getting a puck out at the blue line, and then Faulk's turnover on a pass that eluded Kevin Hayes went to Merrill, who beat a screened Binnington on the play.

Minnesota had the momentum, but it was taken away in a key part of the game when Vinni Lettieri tripped Perunovich at 12:14, and on the ensuing power play, Neighbours made it 2-1 at 12:53 when he collected a rebound of a Robert Thomas wrister and slid it past Fleury.

That's a 20-goal season for Jake Neighbours. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/0mpmy9bts9

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 3, 2024

"That one was just lucky," Neighbours said. "It probably would have went in if it didn't hit me, but it hit me in the leg and was kind of just sitting there for me. It's just the benefit of being around the net. Sometimes you get some lucky bounces.

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about (20 goals) too much. It's pretty cool, a couple congrats from the teammates, but they should be congratulating themselves. I owe it all to them. It has nothing to do with me. I've never had too many crazy individual efforts. It's all been my teammates finding me around the net or shooting them off me. I owe it to them."

The Wild challenged for goalie interference on the play but it was clear Neighbours did not.

"I thought it was offside originally maybe that that's what they were challenging for maybe, but when I saw the replay, I was pretty confident it was a goal, yeah," Neighbours said.

The Blues had two more chances to extend the lead when the Wild was whistled for delay of game when it lost the challenge at 12:53 and then Declan Chisholm was called for holding the stick at 16:01.

The Blues had more sustained zone time but couldn't find the net.

"It was OK," Krug said of the power play. "Even though we weren’t scoring on a lot of them, we did generate some chances and some momentum. To be an elite power play and a good power play in this league, you have to extend leads, especially in the third period when you get chances. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get one to extend it, but that’s just part of it."

The Blues were outshooting the Wild 16-12 through two with the chance to close out the game.

* Third Period -- But boy, it was a jailhouse rules moment for both teams near the Blues goal in the first minute.

Minnesota came hungry and did everything but tie it, but Binnington and the Blues were able to escape.

That was CRAZY! #stlblues pic.twitter.com/l7T8Mu8JbO

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 3, 2024

Faulk went to the box again, this time for tripping at 6:50, but the PK did its job.

Jacob Lucchini (tripping) at 10:10 and the Wild bench was called for too many men at 14:34, and yet the Blues still couldn't ice the game.

Until Krug threw one 190 feet into the empty cage for a goal with 48.5 left to ice the win.

Don't wanna hear anyone say Torey Krug doesn't play a 200-foot game. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/YdYsXuyeb8

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 3, 2024

"You try to win games, meaningful games," Krug said. "That’s what you want as a hockey player and playing down the stretch. We’ve just got to do our part, focus on ourselves. We play other teams head-to-head here down the stretch, so we’ve just got to give ourselves a chance.”

ST. LOUIS -- The calendar has turned to March and the St. Louis Blues, if they should remain in this Western Conference playoff race, must start winning games.

And winning them regularly.

And winning games against opponents they're battling with is a good place to start. Saturday was no exception on their 3-1 win against the Minnesota Wild at Enterprise Center.

Three keys in Blues' 3-1 win against Wild (3-2-24) (2:19)

It wasn't always pretty, as interim coach Drew Bannister eluded to postgame, but at this point, it's not how, as long as they win.

The win ended a three-game slide (0-2-1) and it was just the third win in nine (3-5-1), and with the Nashville Predators surging, and Los Angeles Kings not falling back, the Blues have to continue to help themselves.

"I think for us, in the past, we haven't played well in these games," Bannister said. "By no means do I think we played our best, but I do think we found a way to win in the end. That's an important game for us and that's an important two points, and we've got to build momentum off this going onto the road."

"It’s important," added defenseman Torey Krug, who had an assist and an empty-net goal to seal the win. "We’re going on a road trip right now and we’re a few points back, so whenever you’re at home, you try to collect as many as you can. Important for our group, even our group confidence and psyche moving forward, it’s important for us.”

Let's take a look at three keys to pushing the Wild three points behind the Blues:

1. Winning the net front battle -- When the Blues are able to get rewarded for the net front battles, they typically come out on the winning end.

Alexey Toropchenko and Jake Neighbours did the honors in this game with net front presence and goals. Each carried its own merit.

Toropchenko was parked in front of Marc-Andre Fleury and got a piece of Scott Perunovich's shot that caromed off the post, off Fleury's skate and trickled over the line for a 1-0 lead in the first period, and Neighbours was positioned to the left of Fleury and was able to collect a rebound of a Robert Thomas wrister for a 2-1 lead in the second.

"You have to win at both ends of the ice in front of the net," Krug said. "'Binner' usually gives us a chance, same with 'Hofe'. When our guys are willing to go to the net, it forces us to shoot more pucks because we see the traffic there, and then guys are able to collect goals. It’s important for our team."

2. Blocked shots off Wild sustained o-zone time -- Make no mistake, Minnesota wanted to perform better coming off a 6-1 shellacking against the Predators on Thursday, and the Wild did a much better job Saturday of forechecking, possessing pucks and sustaining zone time.

But the Wild was only able to register 22 shots for the game, that's because the Blues got into shooting lanes and blocked 22 shots, including seven by Colton Parayko.

“Every win is important for us right now," Toropchenko said. "Doesn’t matter who we play. I love to say that all the time now. Just very exciting that we won tonight. We just need to keep going and win as many games as we can."

3. Creating power-play opportunities -- The Blues were skating, and as a result, the Wild took penalties.

Seven of them in total.

And while the Blues would have liked to turn more of those power-play opportunities into goals, they did get one (Neighbours) and seemed to really really stunt Minnesota's momentum as a result.

"I thought we had a lot of really good looks," Neighbours said. "Obviously at times there was some unexecuted stuff, but that's going to happen. I thought for the most part we were direct and getting things to the net. I had a couple looks that probably could have gone in and made it a bit easier on us, but overall, I think we're happy with it."

The Blues had 10 shots on the power play as a result.

"There were some good chances obviously," Bannister said. "There were some really good chances. We lacked execution on some of them, but obviously I'd like to score one or two more in that game I think, and I think the opportunity was there that could have separated us. A closer game, it probably shouldn't have been as close if we were able to score on those opportunities, but our power play's won us games before and they still chip in with one."