Tag: St. Louis Blues

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Canucks aim to have Thatcher Demko return for matchup against Blues

Vancouver Canucks (NHL)

The Vancouver Canucks may have Thatcher Demko back in action as they aim to improve their performance at home against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

While the Canucks have an impressive 10-2-1 record on the road, their home performance has been weaker, with a 4-6-3 record. Only the Chicago Blackhawks (eight) and Utah Hockey Club (10) have earned fewer home points than the Canucks’ 11 points at home this season.

The first two games of the Canucks’ current six-game homestand have shown their struggle to maintain consistency at home. Vancouver won 5-2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday but lost 4-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday after a late collapse.

With the game tied 2-2 in the third period, a miscommunication led to a penalty for too many men on the ice, and Jake Guentzel scored on the ensuing power play to give the Lightning the lead.

The Canucks failed to convert on their three power-play opportunities, while the Lightning scored twice on four chances.

“Special teams won the game for them…I thought five-on-five we were fine,” said Canucks coach Rick Tocchet. “Just obviously unfortunate, can’t have that too-many-men penalty.”

Demko’s return from a knee injury could be a boost for the Canucks. He hasn’t played since the Stanley Cup playoffs in late April but has been the backup goaltender in Vancouver’s last two games without seeing action.

St. Louis Blues players celebrate in the 3rd period

Rather than putting Demko in net against high-scoring teams like the Lightning or the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, Tocchet may choose to ease him back into play against St. Louis, whose offense ranks near the bottom of the NHL in goals (72) and shots per game (26.9).

The Blues had a five-game point streak (4-0-1) before a 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. It was their first regulation loss since Jim Montgomery became the team’s coach.

Down 3-0 after two periods, St. Louis pushed back in the third, narrowing the score to 3-2, but Troy Stecher scored for the Oilers just 69 seconds after the Blues’ second goal to stop their comeback.

“We played a little bit too passive in the first two periods,” Blues forward Dylan Holloway said. “Third period we kind of had a push and the push was good, but just not enough, a little too late.”

Jordan Binnington allowed four goals on 21 shots, continuing an inconsistent season. He is expected to start again on Tuesday.

Quinn Hughes has been outstanding for the Canucks, leading the team with 32 points (seven goals, 25 assists). He’s currently on a seven-game point streak, with 13 of those points (three goals, 10 assists) coming during that stretch.

Holloway has nine points (five goals, four assists) during a six-game point streak, and Jordan Kyrou leads the Blues with 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists).

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Oilers keep winning, defeat Blues by a wide margin

Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis Blues

Connor McDavid scored one goal and added an assist to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.

Corey Perry, Zach Hyman, and Troy Stecher also scored for the Oilers, while Leon Draisaitl had two assists. Goalie Stuart Skinner made 30 saves as the Oilers won five of their last six games.

For the Blues, Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours scored. The Blues lost in regulation for the first time in six games, a streak that started when Jim Montgomery became their coach. Goalie Jordan Binnington stopped 18 shots.

Perry gave the Oilers a 1-0 lead with his fifth goal of the season at 12:25, deflecting a shot-pass from Darnell Nurse.

McDavid extended the lead to 2-0 at 5:19 in the second period with his 13th goal of the season. After a clearing attempt from Philip Broberg bounced off a skate, McDavid was in the perfect spot to score.

Hyman made it 3-0 at 14:37 of the second with a power-play goal. McDavid passed the puck to him for an easy redirection into the net, Hyman’s sixth goal of the season.

St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames

McDavid now has 123 assists in 2023, including both regular season and playoffs. Only Wayne Gretzky has more in a calendar year, with a personal best of 167 assists in 1985.

Holloway got the Blues on the board at 5:02 in the third period, scoring with a one-timer for his ninth goal of the season. He extended his career-best point streak to six games.

Neighbours made it 3-2 with 6:51 left when a shot by Jordan Kyrou deflected off him and went in.

However, Stecher restored the Oilers’ two-goal lead 69 seconds later with his first goal since November 11, 2023, with a sharp-angled shot.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

The streaking Oilers aim to keep their momentum going during an important home stretch against the Blues

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers began an important stretch of home games with a strong win and will try to build on it when they host the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.

The Oilers are coming off a 6-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, which started a stretch where they will play eight of their next nine games at home before the Christmas break.

Edmonton has a 6-6-1 record at home, but they’ve won four out of their last five games, scoring 20 goals during that stretch.

“Leading into the game, we were No. 2 in expected goals for, and we’ve been pretty much two or three all season long,” said Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch. “And just this last week or so, we’ve been able to put the pucks in the net. A little bit is about generating chances, and we’ve generated chances, but it’s also about having the skill to finish.”

As expected, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been leading the offensive push during Edmonton’s winning streak after a slow start. The Oilers also got a big boost with the return of Zach Hyman, who had missed five games due to injury. Hyman scored twice in his first game back.

Hyman, who scored 54 goals last season, had only three goals in his first 20 games this season.

“Being back is the best,” Hyman said. “To get a win and being able to contribute feels good. I think it was a good reset. I obviously didn’t have the greatest start. When I say not the greatest start, I just wasn’t scoring. I thought I was playing pretty good and getting looks and getting chances and whatnot. Eventually, they were going to go in.”

St. Louis Blues and New Jersey Devils

The Blues are coming off a wild 4-3 overtime win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday, where they lost leads of 2-0 and 3-2 before recovering to secure the victory.

“We didn’t have it for whatever reason, but we believe we’re a good team and good teams find ways to do it on the road, whether it’s overtime, whether it’s late in the game,” said St. Louis forward Robert Thomas, who scored once and had two assists. “We just fought and found a way to get a win.”

Since Jim Montgomery became the coach on Nov. 24, the Blues have gone 4-0-1 and have won the first two games of a four-game road trip, starting with a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

“I think just everyone’s committed to giving their best effort,” said St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington. “I think system-wise it’s been a positive change, and he finds a way to get the best out of his guys, encouraging, good meetings and his sense of humor. … It’s fun playing hockey right now and just getting those two points. You could see the excitement on our team.”

This game also marks the return of forward Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg to Edmonton. Both players left the Oilers after signing offer sheets with the Blues that the Oilers did not match.

Broberg, who had two assists in Calgary, has 12 points in 15 games this season, while Holloway is on a five-game point streak with four goals and four assists.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a bit. It should be fun,” said Holloway, who expects Edmonton fans to boo him. “It’ll be different playing on the opposite side, but at the same time, it’ll be a fun experience.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Blues extend point streak to 5 with overtime victory against Flames

St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames

Colton Parayko scored the overtime goal, and Robert Thomas added a goal and two assists as the St. Louis Blues won 4-3 against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

Zack Bolduc and Pavel Buchnevich also scored for the Blues, who are 4-0-1 since Jim Montgomery took over as coach after Drew Bannister was fired on Nov. 24.

Goaltender Jordan Binnington made 36 saves, including 14 in the third period, and Philip Broberg assisted on two goals. The Blues managed to recover after losing a two-goal lead and a one-goal advantage.

Jakob Pelletier, Matt Coronato, and MacKenzie Weegar scored for the Flames, who have only one win in their last six games (1-3-2). Goalie Dan Vladar stopped 20 shots. This loss ended Calgary’s six-game home winning streak.

The Blues started strong when Bolduc scored a one-timer from the slot at 12:49 of the first period for his third goal of the season.

St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets

Thomas extended the lead at 14:49 with his fourth goal of the season, skating through defenders to the left circle and scoring with a sharp shot.

However, Pelletier quickly responded 15 seconds later, scoring his first goal of the season by putting in a rebound.

In the second period, Coronato tied the game with a power-play goal at 5:23, taking a shot from the high slot for his seventh goal. Calgary has scored on the power play in eight of their last nine games.

Buchnevich gave the Blues a 3-2 lead early in the third period, finishing off a nice passing play with a tap-in goal for his seventh of the season.

But just 66 seconds later, Weegar tied it for Calgary, scoring from the slot after a strong forecheck for his fourth goal

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Excelling with their new coach, Blues set to take on Flames next

Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets

The St. Louis Blues are doing well under their new coach, Jim Montgomery, and are in the playoff race. The Blues will try to keep their winning streak going when they play the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

Since Montgomery became coach, the Blues have a record of 3-0-1, with their latest win being a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, which started their four-game road trip.

Montgomery was pleased with the team’s effort. “A five-guys-go mentality from our defensive zone to their net was really good from the start of the game,” he said. “I liked how it was wave after wave. Everybody was a huge part of that win.”

In the games since Montgomery took over, the Blues have outscored their opponents 14-5 in regulation and have killed 10 consecutive penalties.

Against the Jets, St. Louis scored two goals in the second period after successfully killing two penalties. Jordan Kyrou, who scored twice, and Dylan Holloway broke the scoreless tie and helped the Blues win. The Blues outshot Winnipeg 19-3 in that period.

“Our first period led to the second period,” Montgomery said. “Our defensive game, the entire game, we were above people. We weren’t giving up odd-man rushes, and our checking skills were really good. That led to a lot of offensive transition.”

St. Louis Blues and New Jersey Devils

Montgomery has also helped Holloway, who has scored four goals in three games and is on a four-game point streak, adding up to seven points in that stretch.

“It definitely feels good, but you can’t get complacent,” said Holloway, who is from Calgary. “I’ve still got to keep grinding, keep working, keep shooting pucks, that kind of thing. Hopefully they keep going in.”

The Flames return to play after a 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, which ended a four-game losing streak.

The game was emotional for the Flames, as it was the first time the family of the late Johnny Gaudreau was in Calgary since Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau passed away in August.

“There is just so much emotion going through your body,” said defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who opened the scoring. “They know I love them, and me and my family will always be here for them. It was just very emotional scoring.”

The Flames have won six straight games at home and are tied for second place in the league with 10 home victories.

In the win over Columbus, the Flames scored twice on the power play, extending their streak to seven out of eight games with a power-play goal. During that stretch, they have scored on 9 of 23 opportunities.

Despite scoring struggles — the Flames have scored three or fewer goals in regulation in 23 straight games — their goaltending has remained strong. Rookie Dustin Wolf has earned attention, but Dan Vladar posted his second shutout of the season against Columbus.

“Lots of emotions,” said Vladar, who wore a custom mask with the Gaudreau brothers on it. “That one, you kind of don’t really want to play hockey, but you remember Johnny and how he always wanted to play hockey with a smile on. This one’s for him.”

The Flames are now focused on building on their win.

“It was a big must-win for us after a tough road trip coming home,” said captain Mikael Backlund. “We’ve been playing really well at home, and we got back to the way we know we can play. We have to keep that going.”

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Jordan Kyrou scored two goals to help the St. Louis Blues secure a 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday

St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets

Jordan Kyrou scored twice, and Dylan Holloway and Robert Thomas each added a goal and an assist as the St. Louis Blues defeated the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 on Tuesday night, handing the Jets their fourth straight loss.

Kyrou and Holloway both scored 39 seconds apart late in the second period. The Blues outshot the Jets 32-23, improving to 3-0-1 under new coach Jim Montgomery. Joel Hofer, a Winnipeg native, made 22 saves, earning his fifth win in eight starts this season.

Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets with 4:15 left in the game after they pulled their goaltender. Winnipeg, who had won 15 of their first 16 games, is now 3-7-0. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 28 shots in the loss, as the Jets have scored only six goals in their current losing streak.

Winnipeg Jets (NHL)

The Jets had a slight edge in shots on goal in the first period, 8-6. St. Louis had the first scoring chance, but Hellebuyck denied Zack Bolduc’s partial breakaway attempt. Winnipeg came close to scoring with Kyle Connor’s shot, but Hofer made a key save to keep the game scoreless.

In the second period, the Blues finally broke through. Brayden Schenn passed to Kyrou, who scored on a backhand with 1:56 left. Just 39 seconds later, Holloway scored off his own rebound. St. Louis dominated the second period, outshooting Winnipeg 19-3.

Hofer continued his strong play in the third period with a glove save on Neal Pionk, who was on a break. The Blues added a third goal when Kyrou passed to Holloway, who sent the puck into the net while sitting on the ice for a 3-0 lead.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Matvei Michkov steps up once more, scoring in overtime to lead the Flyers past the Blues

Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)

Matvei Michkov scored his third overtime goal in November, helping the Philadelphia Flyers end the month with a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.

Michkov, who will turn 20 on December 9, scored the game-winning goal on a breakaway after Travis Konecny passed him the puck while falling to the ice. Michkov also had a great assist earlier in the game, and Aleksei Kolosov made 26 saves for the Flyers.

Jake Neighbours tied the game for the Blues late in regulation, and Dylan Holloway also scored for St. Louis. Jordan Binnington made 28 saves, but the Blues lost their first game under new coach Jim Montgomery.

After Konecny was called for a late penalty, the Blues tied the game with 18.3 seconds left on a 6-on-4 power play. Kolosov made a great save on Jordan Kyrou and an amazing toe stop on Justin Faulk, but Neighbours managed to poke the puck into the net as Kolosov tried to cover the rebound.

St. Louis Blues players celebrate in the 3rd period

Down 1-0, the Blues tied it at 8:49 in the third period when Holloway scored his seventh goal. Brayden Schenn passed the puck to Holloway in the slot, and he had time to take a shot that beat Kolosov.

Less than a minute later, Bobby Brink had a chance to score but hit the post on a backhand. The puck stayed next to the crease, and Tyson Foerster quickly scored his fifth goal of the season.

The Flyers scored first at 9:15 in the game with Owen Tippett’s fifth goal of the season. Michkov attracted a St. Louis defender on a 2-on-1 and passed the puck perfectly to Tippett, who shot it past Binnington.

With just under 10 minutes left in regulation, the Flyers had a chance to score on a Sean Couturier breakaway and the following scramble in front of the net, but they couldn’t convert. Those missed chances were important, as St. Louis tied the game just a minute later.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Blues face red-hot Devils after solid debut under new coach

St. Louis Blues (NHL)

Jim Montgomery quickly made a difference with the St. Louis Blues after taking over as head coach from Drew Bannister. In his first game, Montgomery led the team to a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers.

“It felt like something,” said Blues captain Brayden Schenn. “It felt like we were having fun out there. That’s the main part. It felt like we weren’t sitting back and we played with energy tonight, and we played with the puck. Just wasn’t a couple chances we were able to generate. Power play had a couple good looks. It was just fun to be out there.”

The Blues will try to keep their momentum going on Wednesday night when they face the New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J.

St. Louis lost 3-1 to the New York Islanders on Saturday, dropping their record to 9-12-1. On Sunday morning, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong hired Montgomery to replace Bannister.

Montgomery, who was let go as the head coach of the Boston Bruins last week, had previously worked as an assistant coach for the Blues and had formed connections with many players on the team.

“He brings a ton of energy to the rink,” Schenn said. “He likes to have fun. At the same time, he’s detailed and he’s serious and he’s respected. It’s our job to bring the energy with him.”

At the time of the coaching change, the Blues were struggling, ranked 26th in the NHL standings by points percentage, 25th on the power play, and 24th in penalty killing. They were averaging just 2.48 goals per game, the fifth-worst in the league.

“This is a talented roster,” Montgomery said. “We’ve got a lot of guys with really good offensive hockey sense. If we’re committed to checking like we were, the offense is going to come.”

Igor Shesterkin
Igor Shesterkin – New York Rangers

The Blues will face a New Jersey team that has been playing very well. The Devils have won three straight and eight of their last 10 games. After starting the season 5-4-2, New Jersey has gone 10-3-0.

They are coming off a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday at home.

“Every game, we have a plan,” said Devils captain Nico Hischier. “If you execute it, it gives ourselves a chance to win a hockey game. The plan switches, depends who you’re playing.”

Hischier led the Devils in Nashville by scoring his first NHL hat trick.

“Just happy for him,” said Devils center Erik Haula. “He’s just such an important player for us, obviously. Eight years and first hat trick. You’d think he has five or six of them.”

Before his hat trick, Hischier had gone 10 games without scoring a goal.

“He starts the season on absolute fire, and then he goes cold for a while there,” said Devils coach Sheldon Keefe. “His demeanor didn’t change, his game didn’t change, most importantly he didn’t cheat the game. He continued to meet the tough matchups every night head on, continued to lead the way for us in the faceoff circle and penalty kill.”

New Jersey will be without forward Timo Meier on Wednesday as he has been suspended for one game after cross-checking Nashville’s Zachary L’Heureux and drawing blood.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Jim Montgomery is excited to return to the St. Louis Blues as their head coach

Jim Montgomery looks on the game from the sidelines

New St. Louis Blues coach Jim Montgomery spoke to reporters on Monday at Madison Square Garden, wearing a dark blue sweatshirt with the team’s famous blue note logo. He was clearly excited about his new role.

Montgomery, who was an assistant coach with the Blues from 2020 to 2022, expressed his happiness about returning to St. Louis.

“Crazy — there’s no other word for it,” the 55-year-old said just a few days after being fired by the Boston Bruins and hired by St. Louis to replace Drew Bannister. “I have worked with over half this lineup already, and I know how committed they are. For me, this was a no-brainer for me to come back home.”

The Blues, who missed the playoffs last season after Bannister took over for the 2019 Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube in December, have a lot to improve. They started this season with a 9-12-1 record. Only two teams have scored fewer goals than their 2.36 goals per game, and they are near the bottom of the league in both power play and penalty kill.

On Monday night, the Blues defeated the Rangers 5-2, playing hard from start to finish in Montgomery’s first game as coach. The team fired more than 40 shots at Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin. Forward Zack Bolduc scored his first two goals of the season.

Brayden Schenn skates in the 3rd period

“I loved our effort,” Montgomery said. “We could have had eight tonight. Shesterkin played well … For 60 minutes we stuck with how we needed to play.”

Montgomery previously led the Bruins to a record-breaking 65-win, 135-point season in 2022-23 and was named Coach of the Year. When he became available, Blues president and general manager Doug Armstrong moved quickly to bring him in.

“When you get a phone call and you hear Doug Armstrong’s plan and how you’re a big part of it, that makes you feel it is the right place to go,” Montgomery said. “The best line that put his hooks into me is, ‘When something delicious falls on my plate, I eat.’ I don’t know. I guess I was a T-bone that day.”

Every NHL team Montgomery has coached for a full season has made the playoffs, and his .659 points percentage is among the best in league history.

“I believe in this group,” Montgomery said. “It’s not easy to make the playoffs in this league. Half the teams miss it. But I do think that in time this is a caliber playoff team.”

Blues players have had positive reactions to the coaching change.

Zack Bolduc and Joel Hofer celebrates after the win

“He’s detailed and structured, but at the same time he lets guys play hockey,” said captain Brayden Schenn after the Blues’ morning skate. “He’s a guy you want to play hard for, who has had success in this league.”

Schenn scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period against the Rangers and said after the win that he felt a boost with Montgomery now behind the Blues bench.

“There’s always life and energy when any team makes a midseason coaching change,” Schenn said. “Tonight it showed. Now it’s our job to keep building on that.”

Robert Thomas, a first-round draft pick by St. Louis in 2017 who is now in his seventh season with the Blues, said he was sorry to see Bannister go but was happy to have Montgomery back as head coach.

“He was a huge help for me and someone I really relied on a couple of years ago,” Thomas said. “He’s someone a lot of us have a ton of respect for. He’s got a big personality.”

The Bruins fired Montgomery last Tuesday after losing 12 of their first 20 games. Boston won 120 of 184 regular-season games with Montgomery as coach, though their playoff success was limited to a first-round win over Toronto last spring.

Montgomery’s first NHL coaching job, with the Dallas Stars, ended when he was fired in December 2019 for unprofessional conduct.

St. Louis Blues players celebrate in the 3rd period

Armstrong hired Montgomery in September 2020 to join Berube’s staff. Now, Armstrong has given Montgomery a fresh, five-year contract with the goal of helping the Blues return to being one of the league’s best teams.

“He’s one of those coaches that I really do believe can be with this team now and as it grows,” Armstrong said on Sunday. “The proof of that is the five-year commitment. One of the things I think is the next part for Jim’s career is to get that longevity in one spot.”

Leaving the Bruins after his success in Boston wasn’t easy, but Montgomery said he immediately chose to stay positive.

“I’m a firm believer that when one door closes, another one opens if you do the right thing,” he said. “It’s about your relationships in life… The five-year deal shows the commitment of Tom Stillman and the ownership group, that we are in this together.”

After the game, Montgomery said the team’s excitement was clear from the morning skate all the way to the final buzzer.

“It was very evident guys were excited to get out and play some hockey,” he said.