Blues Dylan Holloway, Radek Faksa, and Mathieu Joseph showcased strong chemistry in pre-season game against Chicago
The St. Louis Blues coaching staff will start to form their forward lines for opening night against the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 8 very soon here at training camp, and a trio of summer acquisitions could assemble a strong checking third line.
It's not often you see three new players on the team play on the same line, but that's what pre-season is for right?
Blues Head Coach Drew Bannister had Dylan Holloway, Radek Faksa, and Mathieu Joseph play on a line with one another in their 3-2 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.
Holloway stole the show with a two-goal performance in just his second game in the blue and gold. His first came in the third period with the team down 2-0.
Joseph created pressure by heading hard to the net after dishing the puck off to Holloway on St. Louis' first goal of the game. Holloway smartly threw the puck on net, which caromed off the Blackhawks defender and in.
During overtime, the former Edmonton Oiler sealed the Blue's first pre-season victory with a precise wrister that beat Petr Mrazek's low glove, and into the bottom left corner of the net.
St. Louis didn't have much going for them through 40 minutes and it appeared they were in danger of dropping to 0-4 in the pre-season. However, one line stood out. That line was of the newcomers Holloway, Faksa, and Mathieu Joseph.
Joseph and Holloway's play style complement each other. Both are darting, north-south skaters who attack in straight lines and are puck hounds on the forecheck. There was a shift in the second period where the Blackhawks couldn't advance the puck past the faceoff circle because of the tenacious puck pursuit and stop-and-starts by the two.
With the puck, they can match each other's speed to attack in transition, or in the offensive zone with reversal plays to prolong possession along the perimeter.
Adding the 6-foot-3, 220-pound centerman Radek Faksa down the middle gives the line a positionally reliable forward who can let the two speedsters forecheck so he play as the high forward in case the play comes back the other way.
All three are strong 200-foot players capable of being utilized in defensive situations. Holloway still needs more seasoning in that kind of role, but Faksa and Joseph have previous experience.
If the Blues role with a top six of the following:
Neighbours - Thomas - Kyrou
Saad/Bolduc - Buchnevich - Schenn
Then that would actually put the team in a good spot and potentially have a strong checking third line of Holloway, Faksa, and Joseph.
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