Blues defenseman sat nearly a month before entering lineup Monday against Edmonton, made immediate impact by igniting team fighting Evander Kane
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Tyler Tucker admitted things haven't been easy.
The St. Louis Blues defenseman has been showing up for work daily readying himself to make an impact, but when his name wasn't up on the board in the lineup for large swaths of the season, it tested the mettle.
Having played just 19 games this season, Tucker got in on Monday for the first time since March 5.
"Obviously you want to be out there helping the team," Tucker said Wednesday. "Just trying to stay positive. Obviously I'm not the only one going through it. Having someone else kind of in my shoes to talk about it or work through it together has helped. It's been a grind, but obviously just trying to stay positive and work through it."
Tucker will be in the lineup again when the Blues (40-31-4) begin a three-game road trip with a critical one right off the hop against the Nashville Predators (43-28-4)Thursday at 7 p.m. And to be playing in meaningful games now is the reward for putting in the time and work in practice.
"I'm just trying to work hard every day, be positive, create energy for the guys that are playing," Tucker said. "If you're playing, be positive for yourself and go in with the right mindset."
Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said he wanted some "pushback" on the third defensive pairing going into a Monday game against the Edmonton Oilers, a game the Blues won 3-2 in overtime, and Tucker -- along with Marco Scandella -- provided some bite on the back end of the blue line.
"I thought both of them (did)," Bannister said. "I thought 'Scandy' came in and played a hard game for us too. I thought we were heavier in our back end. But certainly 'Tucks' rose to the occasion there against a big man. I'm proud of what he did, and that's not an easy job to do either.
"I think he has played a hard game to be honest with you. There were games going back, whether it was Edmonton, previously I think even Columbus he stepped up for his players. But I think at this time of year and where we're going into, we're going to need that in our lineup and he certainly doesn't back down from anybody."
Tucker ignited the fire when he dropped the gloves in the second period taking on Evander Kane. The Blues got a power play out of it and Brayden Schenn scored to tie the game 1-1 at the time. It came after Tucker finished a good, solid check in the d-zone.
"Certain times in the game, I felt like we had a long delay, I felt like we were sitting there for a few minutes," Tucker said. "I wasn't really looking for it. It just kind of happened. It's always nice, but we were fortunate enough to get a power play out of it.
"I was just trying to finish my check. Obviously we made a good play getting out of the zone. I felt like he kind of ripped my helmet off. Good for him to take the extra two, good for us to capitalize on it."
They'll need more of that pushback for sure, especially Thursday. Tucker and Matthew Kessel will be the pairing in a heavy game with plenty of meaning.
"That's what's expected of me and 'Scandy' for sure," Tucker said. "I've played like that for a while now and he's had a lengthy NHL career and has played like that. Very happy how we played and would obviously like to keep going and keep pushing."
