Two offensively-explosive teams collide in East-West matchup; Montgomery keeping mood light noticeable for players; Buchnevich catching coach's eye
ST. LOUIS -- Two offensive explosions will collide today when the St. Louis Blues (20-19-4) and Columbus Blue Jackets (19-17-5) square off for the second time in a week at 6 p.m. (FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).
If you thought the Blues were red-hot, scoring four or more goals in five straight and seven of the past eight games, the Blue Jackets, who took a 6-4 decision from the Blues a week ago today in Columbus, have scored three or more in five straight and nine of their past 10.
“For us, the third period I know we were down 2-0 quickly, then 3-0 so it’s easier to get back into the game or the other team’s defending more,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “But we need to get into the offensive zone, we need to establish possession and make them defend, that’s one, so they don’t have so much energy to go on offense. It’s a really good offensive team, so that’s the second part is our tracking, making sure we have numbers, making sure we’re defending lines hard.”
The Blues have scored 24 goals the past five games (4.8 goals per game) and 37 the past eight (4.6 per game). What’s been the common denominator?
“Our commitment defensively has led to us getting more odd-man rushes, more breakouts with speed, more transition, because five guys are connected,” Montgomery said. “Our forwards have done a real good job of back-checking, which allows our defensemen to have really good gaps, which creates turnovers or five guys together on breakouts or neutral zone counters. To me, it’s all the defensive habits and the commitment by the player working hard. It took some time, but I think we’re naturally slanted towards offense with our roster and I think you’re seeing that now.”
Speaking of defensemen, Blues D-men have scored six goals the past five games, a marked improvement from earlier in the season.
“They’re skating, one, to join in off the rush, and I think our O-zone possession time has really gone up in the last two weeks,” Montgomery said. “When you’re getting more touches, you’re getting more in the flow of the game, (and) you have more time and space so you get more confident.”
The number Montgomery sees as a target for O-zone time per game is, “probably five-and-a-half. That’s a real good standard. Like last game (in a 6-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks), we were like 7:40. You’re not going to have that all the time.”
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The recent talk of scoring has been the Dylan Holloway-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou line and rightfully so with a combined 30 points the past 10 games, but Pavel Buchnevich has quietly put together a five-game point streak (two goals, four assists) after a goal and an assist Thursday.
“I see ‘Buchy’ getting close to where he was when I was here because that’s the ‘Buchy’ I know, and love,” Montgomery said. “That goal he scored, he seems to have an extra step now and his second and third effort on pucks seem to be natural again. He’s not result-oriented, he’s process-oriented right now, so he’s digging in and that’s leading to him having the puck a lot.”
The line with Robert Thomas and Brandon Saad, who had a hat trick a week ago Friday against the Ottawa Senators, and Thomas scoring twice on Thursday, is finding some real solid footing.
“Really good. They’re making a lot of plays,” Montgomery said. “The goals they scored were high-end (Thursday). I did think this wasn’t as good as they’ve been lately and they had two goals, so it speaks volumes about where they’re at as a line chemistry-wise.”
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Blues Projected Lineup:
Brandon Saad-Robert Thomas-Pavel Buchnevich
Dylan Holloway-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou
Jake Neighbours-Oskar Sundqvist-Zack Bolduc
Alexey Toropchenko-Radek Faksa-Nathan Walker
Cam Fowler-Colton Parayko
Philip Broberg-Justin Faulk
Ryan Suter-Tyler Tucker
Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Scott Perunovich, Mathieu Joseph and Alexandre Texier. Nick Leddy (lower body).
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Blue Jackets Projected Lineup:
Dmitri Voronkov-Adam Fantilli-Kirill Marchenko
James van Riemsdyk-Cole Sillinger-Kent Johnson
Zach Aston-Reese-Luca Del Bel Belluz-Mathieu Olivier
Mikael Pyyhtia-Sean Kuraly-Kevin Labanc
Zach Werenski-Dante Fabbro
Denton Mateychuk-Ivan Provorov
Jake Christiansen-Damon Severson
Jet Greaves will start in goal; Elvis Merzlikins will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Jordan Harris, Jack Johnson and Owen Sillinger. Yegor Chinakhov (upper body), Justin Danforth (lower body) and Sean Monahan (wrist) are out.
