The St. Louis Blues host the Los Angeles Kings tonight, a pair of teams with Stanley Cup aspirations who flamed out of the first round of the playoffs last season.
The Blues and Kings haven't started the season as they envisioned, but the Blues are off to a better start. Boasting a 3-2-0 record, the Blues' issue early on has been consistency. They are in the middle of the pack in several key statistics, and it's something coach Jim Montgomery is expecting to improve.
The Kings, on the other hand, have just one win in their first six games, owning a 1-3-2 record. They made multiple off-season signings, and two key additions were Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin, both of whom have had starts they wish they could get a do-over for.
The Kings run a five-forward power play, and they've had lots of success since they started using it. Early in the season, the Kings are clicking at 25 percent, tied for seventh in the NHL. The Kings are dangerous on the man-advantage, and although the Blues are killing 80 percent of their penalties, and rank tied for eighth in fewest penalty minutes at seven minutes per game, they are always at risk of being beaten on the power play.
The Blues need to be disciplined and, when on the kill, efficient and smart.
(10-21-25) Kings-Blues Gameday Lineup
Sundqvist likely to debut for St. Louis Thursday; Perry to make season debut for Los Angeles
The Blues can hurt the Kings. They've struggled in the defensive end this season, allowing 3.83 goals per game, ranking 29th in the NHL. They've also allowed 29.5 shots per game, take 10 penalty minutes per game and kill just 70.4 percent of their penalties.
Although the Kings' coach, Jim Hiller, is known for his defensive structure, the Kings have been vulnerable, and the Blues need to take advantage of this before the Kings sort things out.
Puck drop is at 7 p.m. CST at the Enterprise Center.
Blues Are In Search Of Consistency As The NHL Season Begins To Ramp Up
The St. Louis Blues have been shaky at best to start the season, but still own a 3-2-0 record. The team desperately needs to string wins and find consistency.