St. Louis Blues forward Zack Bolduc (76) has found his consistent level playing in the NHL since the 4 Nations Face-Off. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/7f2d8a12-4f1d-4040-b019-0304dce8a624.jpeg] St. Louis Blues forward Zack Bolduc (76) has found his consistent level playing in the NHL since the 4 Nations Face-Off. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images) MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Zack Bolduc sat at his locker recently, comfortable in his own skin -- his NHL skin. The St. Louis Blues [http://thn.com/stlouis] forward, playing in his first full season after getting a taste of life in the NHL last season after the Blues selected the 22-year-old with the No. 17 pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, can look around his surroundings in St. Louis and finally knows he belongs. It took some time, plenty of learning curves and teachable moments, lots of patience and frequent flier miles between St. Louis and Springfield of the American Hockey League. It's not always fun and games for a highly-touted prospect to hit the ground running -- or skating -- in the NHL. Look at Colorado Avalanche [http://thn.com/colorado] star Nathan MacKinnon, who did have 63 points in his first NHL season in 2013-14 but only had 38 in his second; Edmonton Oilers [http://thn.com/edmonton] star Connor McDavid did put up 48 points his rookie season in 45 games before he's taken off; Tampa Bay Lightning's [http://thn.com/tampabay]Nikita Kucherov may be the best comparison of them all after scoring just 18 points in 52 games his rookie season of 2013-14. Those are some of the high-end first-round picks that are faces of the league today. Not comparing Bolduc to any of these players, but it just shows that even the best of players need some time to develop. Bolduc is still developing, but the foundation seems to have been laid for growing his potential. Earlier in the season, Bolduc still wasn't sure he belonged -- yet. As the Blues (43-28-7) embark on their final road trip of the season, starting with Monday against the Winnipeg Jets [http://thn.com/winnipeg], Bolduc knows he longs. "Oh yeah, definitely," he said. "I'm feeling comfortable and confident on the ice. I feel like I can play with everyone on the ice, against anyone. I think I can help this team win some games too. It's great to be a part of it. "We have a great group of guys too. We're building something special here right now. We've just got to keep it going." Bolduc, who has 33 points (18 goals, 13 assists) in 68 games this season and is among the team leaders at plus-20, was in and out of the lineup earlier in the season under Drew Bannister. But when Jim Montgomery took over and made his Blues debut as coach on Nov. 25 against the New York Rangers [http://thn.com/rangers], Bolduc scored his first two goals of the season and seemingly began to build his game. It took some time, even though Montgomery was building trust in the young player, but it finally started taking shape despite the occasional healthy scratch. Things really seemed to take off after the 4 Nations Face-Off break, coinciding with the Blues' 18-2-2 run since Feb. 22. Remember, this is a player that combined for 209 points (105 goals, 104 assists) in two seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL before turning pro. "I don't know exactly when he had the 'Ah-ha' moment in the last six weeks, but he obviously had it mentally," Montgomery said. "As coaches, you can tell someone, 'I want you to make plays, I believe in you.' Until he believes it himself, there's going to be inconsistency. And what we're getting out of him is night in, night out, he competes. Night in, night out, his details are really good. The offensive part of his game, he's getting more opportunities because his habits are so much better." Bolduc had a goal and two assists in two games leading into the break but was sent to Springfield during the break to continue playing, and despite only getting two assists in four games with the Thunderbirds, it seemed to reset Bolduc and he's scored 12 of his 18 goals on the season in 22 games since, including two power-play goals on Saturday in a 5-4 win against the Avalanche to extend the Blues' winning streak to a franchise record 12. Bolduc seems to have found himself a role in the bumper on the power play. "I think it's just time," Bolduc said. "Play the position and feel some situations here and there, be around the guys and do some video and try to learn everything on the ice and off the ice. "For me it was all about time. You give yourself some time and try and work, try and learn every day and things will happen. I started feeling all the effort you put in when you come back, it's fun." Even though he's played majority of the time on the third line with Oskar Sundqvist, Mathieu Joseph and whoever else has had to slip into the lineup, Montgomery seems to be tapping No. 76 on the shoulder more so if there's a need for top six minutes with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, or Brayden Schenn, Jordan Kyrou and Jake Neighbours now that Dylan Holloway is sidelined week to week. "It's a great feeling," Bolduc said. "I know I can play with these guys. I know now I can help this team win some games and I can play with a guy like Thomas, 'Jakey', whoever. Sometimes I play with 'Schenner' when lines are flipping here or there. "Our full lineup is full of talent. It's fun to play with everyone. I just want to do the best for this team and win as many games as we can."
