The St. Louis Blues came out of the week with a 1-2-0 record, and the swing in results told the story pretty clearly.
They blasted Ottawa, 7-2, then dropped games against Minnesota and Nashville. It was another roller-coaster stretch, and the inconsistency is starting to stand out.
Even so, a few players gave the Blues enough to build on. Narrowing it down to three stars this week was tougher than usual, but three names separated themselves from the pack.
Pius Suter earned third-star honors after a sharp week that included a three-point night against Ottawa, highlighted by a shorthanded effort. Over the three games, he finished with two goals and two assists for four points. He also kept showing up in the middle of the action from a rotating fourth line, bringing both offense and pressure.
Suter is in the final season of his current two-year contract, and that only adds more intrigue to what comes next. He could be in line for a bigger payday from the Blues, or he could end up with a Stanley Cup contender after the Trade Deadline in March.
Jake Neighbours takes second star after a productive week of his own. He scored twice against Ottawa and added an assist, while also throwing 10 hits across the matchups with Minnesota and Nashville.
His season has not quite matched the level he hit before last year’s injury, but he is making the most of his spot on the third line with Dalibor Dvorsky and Pavel Buchnevich. That group looks like it’s coming along, and the Blues should keep getting more out of it as the season moves forward.
Mason McTavish was the clear top performer. Nobody is hotter on the Blues right now than McTavish, who has a six-game point streak going and put up three goals and two assists for five points in these three games to lead the team.
Through just an eight-game sample, his arrival has already looked like one of the biggest trades in franchise history. He has brought the kind of steady production and reliability this team has been searching for.
There’s a strong chance McTavish shows up as the first star of the week again soon. But the Blues will be hoping other names start forcing their way into that conversation too, with Robert Thomas or Dylan Holloway as the kind of players who could do it.
In Other News...
Blues Loss Exposed Two Problems Fans Are Tired Of
The Blues latest trip through Nashville offered a familiar mix of hope and frustration, with a 5-2 loss that once again put their special teams under the microscope. Jimmy Snuggerud provided one bright spot by converting on the power play, giving St. Louis a needed jolt in a game where chances were harder to come by and the Predators penalty kill did plenty of the heavy lifting.
St. Louis managed only one goal on five power-play opportunities, and the inability to cash in when the game tilted toward the man advantage loomed large throughout the night. In goal, Jordan Binnington was left facing too much traffic and too many clean looks, and the Blues never found enough answers to keep the game from slipping away. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Bring Back A Young Name As Roster Questions Suddenly Grow
Roster maneuvering picked up around the Blues again as they turned to a familiar young name for help up front. Otto Stenberg was recalled from AHL Springfield as the club adjusted its forward group and kept a full 23-player roster in place, a sign that the day-to-day shuffle can have a bigger ripple effect when a team is already managing its cap picture.
The move came with Ross Johnston going on injured reserve because of a lower-body injury, and he is expected to miss at least a week. With Johnston sidelined and the roster full, the Blues have had to thread the needle between immediate availability and longer-range financial flexibility, which is how the cap conversation has suddenly become part of the personnel discussion. [Read more 🡒]
Logan Mailloux Finally Gave Blues Fans A Reason For Hope
Logan Mailloux is only three weeks into an eight-week recovery from hand surgery, but the young defenseman gave Blues fans a small sign that the long road back is moving in the right direction. Before a recent team practice, he was spotted skating on his own, the first indication that he has gotten back on the ice since the preseason injury that landed him on injured reserve.
For a club waiting to see what kind of impact Mailloux can make once healthy, even a solo skate carries some weight. The Blues still have a stretch to go before he is ready to rejoin the lineup, and his rehab remains the priority, but the sight of him moving again offered a more encouraging update than the silence that followed his surgery. [Read more 🡒]