Well, the Blues should probably feel good about themselves now.
After losing the first four games of the preseason, the Blues beat the Senators 7-1 on Thursday night with a lineup that closely resembled their usual NHL group. St. Louis (1-3-1) entered the day as one of just two winless teams this preseason, and it was joined by Utah.
Blues coach Jim Montgomery said he made a point on Thursday morning to his team about how they would feel after the NHL lineup took the ice.
“You look around the games (Monday) night,” Montgomery said. “Vegas played their real lineup, Colorado brought a real lineup on the road. Vegas won at home. Calgary dressed a real line from what I could tell when I watched the highlights, and they lost 8-1. Both teams are feeling very different about where they’re at in their readiness for the regular season.
“After tonight, we should all want to feel good about how ready we are to start the year.”
Philip Broberg (two goals, one assist) and Robert Thomas (one goal, two assists) paced the Blues with three-point nights. Mathieu Joseph, Oskar Sundqvist, Pavel Buchnevich and Dylan Holloway also scored for St. Louis.
Jordan Binnington made 36 saves to continue his stellar preseason. In three exhibition games — seven periods — Binnington allowed just two goals on 73 shots, good for a .973 save percentage.
The Blues submitted a complete game on Thursday night, unlike Tuesday vs. Dallas when they allowed the game-winning goal early in the third, and unlike Saturday vs. Chicago, when they allowed four third-period goals.
“We haven’t played for 60 minutes,” Montgomery said before the game. “Been about 35 minutes of good hockey. The third periods of both games. Last game against Dallas, the first 10 minutes were blah, the last 10 minutes were pretty good, but when you’re down 4-2, it’s a little natural that you get a little juice and the other team is just trying to protect the lead. The other game, when we’re up 2-0, I don’t know if we had a scoring chance in the third period. That’s not Blues hockey.”
Thursday’s Blues lineup featured all but two expected regulars, as Alexey Toropchenko and Jake Neighbours were the only projected NHLers not on the ice.
Wings flying
In the first period, the Blues scored twice with their wings exiting the zone with speed, allowing their teammates to hit them in stride in transition.
Joseph got on the board first at 3:53 of the first period, receiving a pass from Brayden Schenn at the attacking blue line and burying a shot between Leevi Merilainen. Joseph initially blocked a Senators shot in his own zone, then turned north looking to create offense.
Joseph is trying to secure his spot on the roster, with his target set on the third-line right wing role, but a more likely scenario beginning the season as a healthy scratch. On Thursday night, he both caused turnovers and committed them in his own zone.
Sundqvist’s goal at 5:59 of the first period followed Nathan Walker’s sprint out of the zone and collection of Broberg’s rink-long pass below the Senators net. Walker circled the net and then found Sundqvist for a quick shot that beat Merilainen on the far side.
Joining the attack
The next four goals had Blues defensemen’s fingerprints all over them.
Justin Faulk’s jump into the rush created a chance for himself, and his missed shot quickly found its way to Thomas in the slot to make it 3-0 at 7:37 of the first period.
When Logan Mailloux drove the middle lane just 75 seconds into the second period, he opened space for Buchnevich on the right wing. Thomas slipped a pass to Mailloux, who flicked one to Buchnevich.
Broberg followed with two goals in 27 seconds to give the Blues a 6-0 lead heading into second intermission. His first came after an extended shift in the offensive zone, punctuated by Thomas forcing a turnover behind the net and finding Broberg out front.
When play resumed, on Broberg’s same shift, he snuck into the left circle and wired a shot that chased Merilainen from the game.
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Matthew DeFranks | Post-Dispatch
Hockey reporter
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