Blues forward trying to make living in high danger areas forward in NHL, picking up tips watching Panthers, Oilers forwards play down low
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Being a net front pest is an art.
Jake Neighbours knows it, and he knows there comes a price with it.
But the St. Louis Blues forward, a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, continues to not only be a student of it but one who's thriving at it.
And Neighbours, who is tied with Jordan Kyrou for the team lead with 25 goals, knows there's more to learn, and the fellow NHL skaters he tends to watch, or follow are two players who continue to thrive in those roles, and oh by the way, one just became a 50-goal scorer.
"I think Matthew Tkachuk's one and Zach Hyman is the other," Neighbours said. "Just those two play a lot of their minutes in front of the net and are really good around the net, score a lot of goals from that area and create a lot of offense from there. You try and pick up little tips and tricks that they do that could maybe add to my game. I think it's obviously a learning process and still continuing to work on it."
Neighbours' 25 goals are obviously a breakout year for him after he had just six in his first 52 NHL games the past two seasons. Of those 25 goals, 19 of them have come in high-danger areas either in the crease or in the inner low slot areas. He's making that living pay off despite the punishment these guys can receive trying to make that living there.
"He's done an excellent job this year growing into a player we all saw coming," Blues center Robert Thomas said. "He's got a lot more to go. I think if he keeps focusing on looking at different guys and finding a path for himself, I think if you look at development over the years, this year is a huge jump for him. That's really exciting. Sometimes you take a huge jump, you take a little one, but those huge jumps are really exciting to see."
Neighbours is particularly impressed by what Hyman has done with the Oilers this year when one considers that 44 of his 51 goals have come from high-danger areas or below the circles.
"It's a mindset to go there and want to play that way," Neighbours said. "Obviously Hyman works extremely hard and kind of was looked down upon his whole career and has worked his way into being a superstar in this league and be real effective.
"I think it's just all about hard work and believing in yourself and obviously the product of a lot of good players around me and around a lot of us. You need guys that are going to find you down there, but it's just about working hard and going there."
It's the precise reason why Thomas likes playing with someone who will muck and grind, fight through the feistiness and physicality and present himself as an option.
"His effort alone other than his skill is something that's amazing to play with," Thomas said. "He's always giving second and third effort. He's giving it all every night. That's all you can ask for from somebody on your line. Obviously he's got a great scoring touch and he makes some good plays. Our line just complements that."
Neighbours would make his predecessors proud that made their careers out of the position, including most recently David Backes and Matthew Tkachuk's dad, Keith Tkachuk.
