The St. Louis Blues head into this week trying to put some shape around an uneven start.
A 6-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights looked like the kind of night that can kick a season into gear, but that was followed by a 4-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 24.
Now the challenge for Jim Montgomery’s team is simple enough to say and hard enough to do: make sure one flat game doesn’t spill into more of them.
That starts with consistency in the details. The Blues have shown they can hang with strong teams and even put goals on the board in bunches, but they have not yet locked in the kind of steady offensive and defensive play that carries from night to night. When their preferred rhythm disappears, they need more than hopeful shots and scattered pressure.
St. Louis has already shown one version of its ceiling this season.
The win over Vegas was a clean example of balanced scoring, and earlier victories over Winnipeg and Ottawa pointed to the value of getting production from across the roster. The problem is repetition.
Against Carolina, the offense never found its footing, and the shutout made the gap plain: when the Blues can’t establish themselves in the offensive zone, they have to create more sustained pressure and generate better chances than they did in that game.
The coaching staff will be looking for more puck support through the neutral zone, heavier traffic at the net and better execution on rebounds and second chances. The Blues do not need every game to turn into a track meet, but they do need enough time spent in the right end of the ice to keep opponents from controlling the pace.
At the same time, the margin for error on defense is thin. The early schedule has already featured both clean wins and stretches where breakdowns were costly.
The Carolina result was a reminder that puck management matters, especially against a team that can turn a mistake into a long shift under pressure. St.
Louis also has to be mindful of the workload on its blue line, with several defensemen still unavailable.
That makes the upcoming opponents useful tests. Montreal can stress a team with speed and transition, while Boston brings another look that will ask whether the Blues can keep their structure intact against a physical opponent.
The point is not just avoiding big mistakes. It’s avoiding the little lapses that can snowball inside a period.
The injury situation remains part of the picture, too. Dillon Dube, a forward, is expected to miss at least eight weeks after suffering a neck injury against San Jose on October 8.
Logan Mailloux, a defenseman, remains on injured reserve after being sidelined before the regular season began. Alexey Toropchenko, a forward, is also on injured reserve with an upper-body issue.
Tyler Tucker, a defenseman, had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in late September and was expected to be reevaluated after approximately six weeks. Ross Johnston, a forward, was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 19 and was initially described as day-to-day.
With that many absences, the Blues need their healthy depth players to carry real weight. The roster can’t afford extra strain on the regulars if the team wants to stay organized and competitive through this stretch.
Entering Oct. 26, St.
Louis sits at 5-5-1 with 11 points through 11 games. The season has already been a mixed bag, with encouraging wins over Dallas, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vegas mixed in with frustrating results that have kept the team from building momentum.
The record leaves the Blues with some catching up to do in the Central Division, but the schedule still leaves room to settle in.
All times are Central Time.
Tue., Oct. 27 - Montreal Canadiens at home, 7:00 p.m.
Thu., Oct. 29 - Boston Bruins at home, 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 31 - Detroit Red Wings away, 12:00 p.m.
It’s a manageable week, with rest built in between games and recovery time after the trip to Detroit. That shifts the focus away from endurance and onto execution.
The Canadiens game gives St. Louis a chance to answer the Carolina shutout right away.
Boston will provide a tougher test of discipline. Detroit closes the week with a divisional matchup.
For Montgomery’s group, the goal is clear enough: put together a complete 60-minute performance. If the Blues can manage the puck better, keep pressure on opposing goaltenders and work through the injury issues without losing their defensive shape, this homestand can still become a useful step in the right direction.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Suddenly Have A Goalie Question They Didn't Expect
A routine morning skate turned into an unexpected moment of concern when Carter Hart left the ice after appearing to tweak something while making a butterfly save during a drill. The Golden Knights did not offer any immediate specifics beyond saying he is being evaluated, but it was enough to create a sudden wrinkle at a position Vegas had not been expecting to revisit this quickly.
Bruce Cassidy has already shifted to Adin Hill for the upcoming game against the Ottawa Senators, giving the Golden Knights at least one clear answer for the moment. What comes next with Hart is still unclear, and for a team that leans heavily on stability in goal, any uncertainty there is worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Suddenly Have A Goalie Problem They Didn't Expect
The morning skate on Tuesday brought an unexpected turn for the Golden Knights, who suddenly have to sort out their crease with Carter Hart leaving early because of an apparent injury. Hart had been penciled in as the starter, but his day-to-day status forced Vegas to pivot quickly as it prepared for its next game, a reminder of how fast the most stable part of a roster can become unsettled.
Adin Hill is now expected to get the start against the Ottawa Senators, giving Vegas a familiar answer for at least one night while the staff evaluates Harts status. If the situation worsens, Carl Lindbom could be in line for NHL playing time, adding another layer to a situation the Golden Knights did not anticipate this close to game time. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Already Face A Familiar Question After Hot Start
The Golden Knights have put together an 8-4-1 start that has them sitting among the NHLs top five teams, a position that usually comes with a little less anxiety than excitement this early in the season. Even with a recent three-game skid, capped by an overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, there is no real panic around the room, only a reminder that strong starts still have to be protected through the grind of the schedule.
Brayden McNabb said the focus has to stay on the group playing as one unit, which is the same message teams lean on when the wins come early and the questions start to follow. Vegas knows the bigger picture is still in front of it, but after a hot opening, the next stretch will be about proving the pace was a sign of something sustainable rather than just a fast first chapter. [Read more 🡒]