The St. Louis Blues are heading back to the postseason, but you already knew that. A 4-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night sealed the franchise’s fifth consecutive playoff berth since failing to qualify in the 2010-2011 season.
In a season that’s featured key injuries to Patrik Berglund, Jaden Schwartz, Paul Stastny, Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk (not to mention both goaltenders Jake Allen and Brian Elliott missed a significant amount of time), the Blues have managed to punch their ticket in convincing fashion. They are currently tied for the Central Division and Western Conference leads with the Dallas Stars. Both teams have played 76 games, but Dallas holds the tiebreaker (regulation/overtime wins or ROW) with 43.
Since the All-Star Break, the Blues are 17-6-1, which is the second-best record in the NHL behind the Anaheim Ducks (19-5-3). While the Stars and Chicago Blackhawks cooled off from respective hot streaks during the season, the Blues have maintained their presence among the pack in the toughest division in the NHL.
Superstar forward Vladimir Tarasenko and his 35 goals have led St. Louis to an extremely productive regular season. Steen has assumed the role as the ideal complete player before suffering a left arm injury that will sideline him until the last few games of the season. Stastny has adjusted very well to head coach Ken Hitchcock’s style of offense in his second season as a Blue. Captain David Backes is prepping his team for a deep playoff run in what could be his last season in St. Louis if things go south. Jay Bouwmeester, Alex Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk continue to spearhead from the back end when shutting down the opposition’s top weapons each and every night.
In between the pipes, Elliott and Allen have each played fantastic in their own regard this season. They recently have combined for four consecutive shutouts over the past week. It’s the first time in franchise history that the Blues have accomplished this feat. Their shutout streak currently stands at 240:18; the last goal that they allowed was an empty-net marker. It’s been 261:51 since a Blues goaltender was in net for a goal against.
So, as a collective unit, how were the Blues able to combat agonizing injuries that could have been detrimental to their success all season long? Key goal-scoring and a two-headed, unstoppable monster in net are huge parts of it, of course. On the other hand, there are two groups of Blues who have been just as important.
The New Additions
Kyle Brodziak signed a one-year deal to play in St. Louis after disposing of the Blues in the playoffs the previous spring as a member of the Minnesota Wild. Scottie Upshall agreed to a contract with the Blues after attending training camp on a professional tryout. Little did Blues fans know that the tandem of these two offseason acquisitions would form a penalty killing unit that would stifle top power play units around the National Hockey League. Brodziak serves as the positionally sound forward who has a knack for taking away cross ice passes while Upshall utilizes his speed to clog up the neutral zone and prevent easy zone entries. Brodziak has two shorthanded goals this season, both set up by Upshall. Both forwards are over 30 years old and each have played in over 25 playoff games throughout their NHL careers. This Blues roster is a relatively younger one than prior seasons, so having Upshall and Brodziak sacrificing their bodies on the ice and keeping player morale at a high level off of it has paid off so far. The postseason is all about learning what it takes to win and finally taking that next step; this pair of grizzled vets exemplify that concept.
Over the summer, Fan favorite T.J. Oshie was sent to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Troy Brouwer (along with goaltending prospect Pheonix Copley and a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft). Head coach Ken Hitchcock wasn’t too sure where the Stanley Cup winner in 2010 would fit within his club specifically, but eventually chose to play him on the second line. This decision blossomed into a beautiful chemistry with Robby Fabbri (more on him later) and Stastny. He’s solidified a top-six forward group while staying healthy, playing in all 76 games so far this season. Backes is the only other Blues player who hasn’t missed a game due to injury/sickness. Although, Brouwer’s offensive numbers have dipped slightly due to a transition to a more defensive scheme, but he’s finding his groove as the season winds down. The 30-year-old has seven points in his last seven games, not including a huge power play goal against the Blackhawks on March 9th in the third period. Like Brodziak and Upshall, Brouwer adds an element of experience when playing big-time hockey. He’s hoping to duplicate his ring total, and what better place to do it in than a city that has never won one in its entire history? But, like the rest of his team, Brouwer will determine his longterm worth to the franchise in the postseason wearing the Blue Note. Meanwhile, Oshie is having a career year offensively in Washington playing alongside the likes of Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. It’s safe to say that this trade worked for both teams…so far.
The Kids
You could not find a single person who would have correctly predicted that Robby Fabbri, Colton Parayko and Joel Edmundson would take on significant roles on the Blues during the 2015-2016 regular season. It’s even more impressive as to how each of them got there in the first place.
Fabbri, selected 21st overall in 2014 by St. Louis, opened the eyes of the coaching staff during training camp two months later. However, he was deemed too young and a bit undersized to make the transition to NHL competition and was sent back to play with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League. In response, the Mississauga native scored 51 points in 30 games with the Storm and captured a gold medal in the 2015 World Juniors while representing Canada (he played 5 games before suffering a knee injury). Fabbri followed up those performances at this year’s training camp, showing off his blazing speed and deking arsenal that had led to his success during his career. His tremendous hockey sense resembles Zach Parise of the Minnesota Wild and his work ethic is unparalleled.
Tenacity, gumption and ingenuity are three words that describe his overall play. Fabbri has the potential to become a difference-maker in the National Hockey League. He’s been a captivating goal-scorer at every level but possesses the skill to set his teammates up with the perfect pass. In other words, he’s exactly what the Blues needed. With major injuries to the Blues forwards mounting in the early portion of the season, Fabbri was notified that he would be staying in the big leagues for the rest of the year on November 8th. The 20-year-old hasn’t looked back since.
22-year-old Finnish defenseman Petteri Lindbohm was high on the Blues list to join the roster from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. They had recognized the need to replace veteran Barret Jackman on the third pairing with someone younger and quicker but could also employ a physical brand of hockey. Fabbri’s roomie, 22-year-old Joel Edmundson, had been closely evaluated by the Blues management for the past two years. Like Lindbohm, he received his first taste of professional hockey in Chicago. However, fans and media alike had pegged Lindbohm to make the team after playing in 23 games last season when filling in for injured players splendidly.
Still, training camp would help the Blues get an accurate representation of how Lindbohm’s progression was coming along. Edmundson then out-shined him over the following series of weeks, practically stealing the coveted roster spot. The 6’4” defenseman was drafted 46th overall in 2011 for his size and gap closure ability, but had added tools that improved his all-around game (speed, durability, composure). To compete with deep defensive cores in the Central Division like Chicago and Nashville going into the season, the Blues determined that Edmundson was NHL-ready after playing over 90 games in the AHL under his belt.
Then there’s Colton Parayko, the 22-year-old out of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Standing at 6’6” and weighing 226 pounds, there’s no doubt that he’s a visual presence out on the ice. But have you ever seen him skate? Coming into training camp, I’m not sure fans and media in attendance had, let alone knew who he was. Even his official draft prospect profile had his name incorrectly spelled! Alas, by the end, he became a household name. The 86th overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft by St. Louis not only dazzled the crowd, but the coaching staff. His strides on the ice are truly spectacular; it’s as if he is gliding across the surface without hesitation. Nerves never seemed to phase him on the ice, as he welcomed high-pressure situations. The St. Albert native could stickhandle through a phone booth, performing battle drills along the boards and coming out with the puck consistently.
Parayko’s speed out of the defensive zone is something that I’ve rarely seen with a player his size, opening up space with an extra step and a longer reach to complete an outlet pass behind or in front of the net. On the offensive side, you can’t overlook his devastating bomb of a slap shot. Not only that, but he identifies shooting lanes and avoids traffic, ensuring his shot will reach the net more often than not. There’s a reason why he was (and still is) being compared to a Al MacInnis. Now, a roster controversy had been born: Edmundson or Parayko? The Blues took the easy way out and picked both of them.
So how are these three rookies doing in their first NHL season?
Robby Fabbri has 18 goals (third-most on the team) and 19 assists in 70 games played. Three of his 18 tallies are game-winning goals. He also leads the Blues with 18 points (6G, 12A) in 23 games since the All-Star Break.
Joel Edmundson recently notched his first NHL goal Friday night against Vancouver to go along with 8 assists on the year through 61 games. He is third among rookie defensemen with 145 hits and eats up minutes on a penalty-killing unit that ranks 3rd in the league with 85.0% efficiency.
Colton Parayko has hit the back of the net eight times while registering 23 assists in 73 games this season. Like Fabbri, he has three game-winning goals. He also leads all rookies with a +27 rating (5th in the NHL). On Saturday night versus the Washington Capitals, he was a +4.
The trio of rookies and newly-acquired veterans of the St. Louis Blues have provided depth and fluidity to a nucleus of players that have notably faltered in the month of April. And despite all the negativity and doubtfulness that will surround the team in the coming weeks, Hitchcock had reason for optimism this time around after clinching on Friday:
“This one feels different.”
NEWARK, NJ – NOVEMBER 04: Vladimir Tarasenko #91 of the St. Louis Blues skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on November 4, 2014 in Newark, New Jersey. The Blues shutout the Devils 1-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
