THW's Blues News

THW's Blues news for 03/21/2021

March 21, 2021

The latest Blues stories from The Hockey Writers.

 

03/21/2021 edition:

By Ethan Carter on Mar 20, 2021 09:06 am

The St. Louis Blues have had a rocky first half of the 2020-21 season, to say the least. Through 29 games, a little over half of the shortened season, the club is 14-10-5 for 33 points. They’re barely hanging onto a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs as they are three points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings in the Honda West Division.

They’ve dealt with tons of injuries, leaving players that you didn’t expect to have significant roles, with significant roles. Some players have stepped up to the challenge and some haven’t – let’s roll into the 2020-21 Blues’ midseason awards.

Best Forward

Brayden Schenn

This is tough, but I think the most consistent forward for the Blues has been Brayden Schenn. He has been himself all season, throwing his body around and playing well with all of his linemates despite Jaden Schwartz missing an entire month. Schenn has been terrific even without Schwartz.

Schenn comes in at third on the team in scoring with 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points, and he’s tallied six of those points on the power play. He’s done what is expected of him which is to play as hard as anybody – he’s the definition of that mentality. That is looked at as old school these days, but it fits perfectly in St. Louis.

Speaking of throwing the body around, he’s second on the team in hits this season with 68 – the only player above him is Justin Faulk. Either way, Schenn continues to be everything the Blues have wanted and more after acquiring him from the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017. He signed an extension of eight years in the early part of last season, so he is here to stay.

Best Defenseman

Justin Faulk

It’s hard not to pick Faulk for this award as he’s been terrific for the majority of this season. Despite being known as an offensive defenseman during his time with the Carolina Hurricanes, he’s stepped up his 200-foot game with the Blues this season.

As mentioned earlier, he leads the team in hits with 70 of them through 29 games. He’s been as good as anybody in the NHL at closing gaps and stopping plays from developing. Gap closure is a staple of Blues hockey and Faulk has been marvelous at it.

He’s second on the team among defensemen in points with 13, behind Torey Krug in that category. He leads in goals among defensemen for the Blues with five. He’s been the Faulk of old and more for the Blues this season – it’s making Blues’ general manager Doug Armstrong look a whole lot smarter after that deal prior to last season.

Most Surprising Player

Jordan Kyrou

Hear me out on this one, we all knew that Jordan Kyrou had sky-high potential coming into this season, but he has exceeded expectations with his first-half performance. He’s been what we thought Robert Thomas might be this season, but Thomas got injured in the early part of the season.

Kyrou got off to a lightning-fast start this season – he’s slowed a bit since then, but he’s still fourth on the team in points and has been great for most of the season. He has tallied 21 points (8 goals and 13 assists) over 29 games, a terrific leap for the 22-year-old.

The great thing that Kyrou does is that he can fit on any line for this team and has speed off the charts. He’s a playmaker and has a good shot – he does a lot well, but the only thing you may not like is he isn’t great on the defensive end. That is expected with a true speed and skill player that is so young.

I have confidence that the Blues can squeeze some defensive potential out of him at some point – either way, it’s been slightly surprising that he is already as good as he is.

Most Disappointing Player

Zach Sanford

Fair or not fair, Zach Sanford has been a big disappointment this season based on the expectations of improvement that I had for him. He hasn’t been on a consistent line this season, which has hurt him, but he has been really disappointing.

Sanford has eight goals and four assists this season – six of his goals are over an 11-game stretch and he’s been up-and-down all season. His defense has been bad, to say the very least – he’s had countless awful turnovers that either led to a goal or close to it.

Sanford has to be better, and I know the fanbase picks on him a lot, but it has been mostly warranted this season. He has to be put on a consistent line when the team gets back to near full strength – that will help him, but with his height, he should be better in all three zones.

What to Expect in the Second Half

I expect the Blues to have a strong finish to this season with how many returning players they will have. This is a team that has missed Tyler Bozak, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Colton Parayko, Robert Thomas and more for lots of this season. That has unquestionably hurt them, and I am happy with the way that have stayed in the playoff picture.

The second half will absolutely be better – I trust Blues head coach Craig Berube more than many coaches this team has had in the past. They have a great staff and a great team, when they get healthy, they’ll return to their previous elite status.

By Rob Staggenborg on Mar 19, 2021 02:46 pm

Whether the St. Louis Blues close the curtain on 2020-21 by hoisting the Stanley Cup, or by abruptly clearing out their lockers in stunned silence, three of the team’s MVP candidates should be medical trainer Ray Barile, assistant coaches Steve Ott and Mike Van Ryn.

Barile has put together the NHL’s version of an Iron Man streak. He has tended the team medicine cabinet for 2,000 consecutive games. He’s the first responder on the ice when a player goes down with an injury – and the team has seen a lot of the trainer this weird season. He is hockey’s version of a battlefield medic, rendering just enough first aid to move the player off the ice for repairs.

While it has been Barile in charge of the bandages, the two former veteran players are the band-aids that have helped keep the Blues’ locker room together. As assistants, their biggest responsibility is ensuring players are game-ready, especially ones coming back from injuries. These players have to battle the pesky Ott and Van Ryn on the ice during practices just to get approved for promotion by head coach Craig Berube to the active roster.

The Blues coaching staff includes NHL veteran and former Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery, video coach Sean Ferrell, and goaltending coach David Alexander, as well. Each brings a unique perspective and vision to Berube’s staff in his own way. But as far as big-game players go, it is hard to find two more who have shown up on a bigger stage than Van Ryn and Ott.

Roads Not Taken

For Ott, it all happened pretty quickly, according to a SI.com story about players who were transitioning to the coaching box. In just three weeks, he made the ascent as an aging player on the brink of retiring, to being hired as an assistant to help Berube chase a Stanley Cup. He traded his sweat-soaked gamepads for crisp business suits and blue ties.

“On April 22, Ott logged 8:42 of ice time for the Canadiens in Game 6 of the first round, a 3–1 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden that eliminated Montreal from the playoffs,” SI.com reported. “Less than three weeks later, he was preparing for the interview in St. Louis by listing the pros and cons of himself as a candidate.”

“If I was [then-head coach] Mike Yeo or Doug Armstrong, what would I ask him?” Ott said in the article. “What would my concerns be? I’ve been viewed as a different player, antagonistic to fans in certain scenarios … It’s hard, because as a hockey player you hate talking about yourself. To put yourself in that situation, there’s nothing worse.”

“Otter” Wreaks Havoc But Cup Title Eludes Him

In early March, Berube’s two assistants made the paper regularly as news of players’ possible return dates started to seep out of St. Louis.

Ott, a fiery forward who earned a reputation as being a loyal teammate, was tasked with helping rehab star Vladimir Tarasenko during individual and team workouts. It was the young coach who spent hours pulling at the star’s surgically repaired shoulder, checking him hard into the boards and causing general mayhem. Tarasenko passed Ott’s test and was inserted into the lineup on March 6. All the prep work had to be done to ensure the shoulder – and the player – were ready to face the day-to-day, shift-to-shift rigors of the Honda West Division.

Rigor is an appropriate word to describes Ott’s career. He was a fixture in the lineup for 14 years while playing for the Dallas Stars, the Buffalo Sabres, the Blues, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Montreal Canadiens. He appeared in 848 games, scoring 109 goals and adding 179 assists for 288 points. He was minus-6. He amassed 1,555 career penalty minutes. In 2012-13, he led the NHL in games played with 48 games in the shortened season.

He appeared in 107 games for the Buffalo Sabres, and 127 games for the Blues. In Buffalo, he had 18 goals and 26 assists in his two years there. He made an impression on that organization, which recently fired embattled coach Ralph Krueger after the team had the worst start in the league this season. Ott’s name was mentioned by The Athletic’s John Vogl as a possible candidate for the job (‘Head coach Steve Ott? Who stays and goes? Where are the analytics? Sabres mailbag,’ The Athletic, March 12, 2021).

A native of the Canadian town of Summerside in Prince Edward Island, he was the Stars’ first-round draft pick in 2000, going 25th overall. A Stars’ fan website named him the 15th best prospect ever scouted by the organization. He served as Buffalo’s captain during the 2013-14 season before being acquired by the Blues on February 28, 2014. Ott was acquired by the Canadiens at the 2017 trade deadline from the Red Wings, where he played in 2016. He was reacquired by the Blues in May 2017 but retired on May 25, 2017.

“I am very proud of my playing career and will devote the same work ethic to my coaching career,” Ott told Canada’s Sportsnet.ca in 2017. “The Blues organization is very special to me and my family and I’m excited to take the next step in my hockey career with this franchise.”

During games, Ott can be spotted during play stoppages with a whiteboard in hand, drawing out plays for the huddle. For many fans, it is still awkward to see Ott in a suit and tie that the assistants wear. For nine years, he terrorized the Blues franchise as a member of the Dallas Stars, where he appeared in 34 of his career 61 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

In 2008, Bleacher Report.com called Ott “a diet version of Sean Avery.“

“Regardless of his small size for an enforcer, Ott will take on anyone, anytime, any day, regardless of their daunting challenge,” penned Ken Armer (‘The Most Annoying Man in Dallas, And For Good Reason,’ Bleacher Report, June 8, 2008.)

Mike Van Ryn, Young Phenom

Van Ryn’s role is to serve as eyes and ears for Berube, who was also an accomplished NHL tough guy for 17 years.

For his part, Van Ryn is an X’s and O’s type coach who is described by many as a hockey “lifer.” He was one of the most sought prospects in North America when he entered the draft in 1998. He was drafted 26th overall by the New Jersey Devils, but after some legal wrangling over his contract, he never signed there.

He played in 353 games in his career with the Blues, the Florida Panthers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored 30 goals with 99 assists for 129 points.

He signed to play with the Blues in June 2000, according to THW. He played his first NHL game with St. Louis in the 2000-01 season, while he was also spending time in the minors in Massachusetts with the American Hockey League’s Worcester IceCats that year. He missed the majority of the 2000-01 season due to a shoulder injury he suffered in a game against the Phoenix Coyotes. In March 2003, he was sent to Florida for Valeri Bure and the Panthers’ fifth-round draft choice in 2004. He played the majority of his career for the Panthers. In four seasons, he played in 257 games for Florida. He was traded to Toronto in September 2008 for Bryan McCabe and the Leafs’ fourth-round draft pick in the 2010 draft.

On July 26, 2010, Van Ryn announced his retirement. His playing days were over, but he looked forward to getting a shot as a coach. He would take a job as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs.

“My body just doesn’t really have it anymore,” Van Ryn said in a 2010 interview with the Toronto Star. “It was time to move on. This just seemed like a great fit.” (‘Leafs Defenceman Mike Van Ryn Retires,’ Toronto Star, July 26, 2010)

“When I knew I wasn’t going to be returning to the NHL, I started looking into coaching jobs and my agent knew there was an opportunity here with Marty (Williamson, IceDogs’ general manager/head coach),” he told THW. “I met with Marty and the Burkes (IceDogs owners) and knew that it would be a great fit.”

“I had a fun time in Michigan, but with so few games in that season, it’s much harder to develop,” Van Ryn told THW. “My only regret was that I didn’t come to the OHL sooner; with a professional atmosphere and over 60 games, it is definitely a great place for a young player to begin to further his hockey career.”

Van Ryn moved on to coach the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. Upon his hiring, General Manager Steve Sullivan gushed about the former player and the leadership he was expected to bring to the team.

“Enthusiasm, and he brings an out-of-the-box way of thinking,” Sullivan told the Tucson media. “He’s always trying to better himself; find different ways how this game can be played and perfected. And a lot of the reason he’s there has to do with skills development, player development and building strong relationships. That’s really a strength of his.”

Amber Van Ryn’s Cancer Journey

As a player and now as a coach, Van Ryn has earned respect from everyone around him. Last year, he was asked to step up and be an assistant coach in the biggest game of his life – his wife Amber’s cancer journey.

Joey Vitale is a former pro player who spent time with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Arizona Coyotes. He now covers the team as part of the Blues broadcast crew at FoxSports Midwest. In late February, he produced a piece for the pregame show about the Van Ryns. The segment showed how the couple dealt with not only cancer but raising young children and coaching in the league at the same time. It was a rare insight into the emotional impact cancer has had on the daily life of this former top draft pick.

“Mike was coaching across the country while Amber was dealing with her chemo,”” Vitale said. “On his off days, (which came rarely when you are a head coach) Mike would fly back home to get her to treatment, and look after his family. It was truly remarkable. The strength, courage, and resilient nature of Mike is shown in his actions. Trying to find the balance between hockey and family is always tough, and throw in one of your family members getting diagnosed with cancer. Wow.”

“As awful as the pandemic has been, we have spent a lot of time with our kids,” Van Ryn told Vitale. “You realize going through this, it could have been the four of us, not the five of us.

Vitale and others in the organization have been inspired by their story. When the Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019, Van Ryn took the Cup to Florida, where he and Amber raised money for breast cancer research and awareness. They charged fans a nominal fee to have their photo taken with it. They donated the proceeds to Pink Up the Pace, a breast cancer research charity in St. Augustine, Fla.

“By about 1 p.m., close to 400 people were waiting in line to see it. The line stretched from the ballroom, out the side doors facing Cordova Street and to a parking lot behind an adjacent restaurant, the St. Augustine Record reported.

Amber Van Ryn, Mike’s wife, said they hadn’t expected a crowd that large.

“It’s mind-blowing to see the turnout,” she told the paper..

Van Ryn earned his place in NHL fan lore, in a rather inauspicious way. In a 2010 game between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, Milan Lucic checked Van Ryn into the boards. As his helmet hit the plexiglass, it shattered, sending a million shards of plastic glass everywhere. A video clip of the hit was loaded to YouTube, where it has gained more than 126,000 clicks. Van Ryn walked away from the incident unscathed.

Just what’s next for these two coaches remains to be seen. Much of their future relies on how the Blues are able to change their fires this year. if they are able to rally like the team as it did in its Cup-winning season of 2019, surely Ott and Van Ryn will be given serious consideration for head coaching jobs in the NHL.

By Greg Boysen on Mar 19, 2021 08:35 am

The National Hockey League history made on this date spans nearly a century. The names in today’s column read like a who’s who list at the Hockey Hall of Fame. From the early day of the league in the 1920s and 1930s to some recent milestones, March 19 has it all.

Phil Esposito & Jaromir Jagr Get Connected

Esposito scored a hat trick and added an assist, on March 19, 1972, in the Boston Bruins 7-3 win over the Minnesota North Stars. Two of his goals came on the man advantage to set a new single-season NHL record with 27 power-play goals. Goaltender Gerry Cheevers extended his league-record undefeated streak to 30 straight games (23-0-7) with the win.

Six years later, now a member of the New York Rangers, Esposito became just the second player in NHL history to score 1,400 points. He reached this rare milestone with an assist in a 7-7 tie with the North Stars.

Jagr made NHL history wearing a Rangers uniform, on March 19, 2007, by becoming the first player to score at least 25 goals in each of his first 16 seasons. His historic goal came with just 33.8 seconds left in the third period to give New York a 2-1 over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins.

On March 19, 2015, Jagr passed Esposito on the NHL’s all-time goals list by netting No. 718 in the Florida Panthers’ 3-1 victory against the Detroit Red Wings. Two years later, he became just the fourth player in league history to play in 1,700 games as the Panthers were defeated 4-0 by the Penguins.

Black & White Memories

Cecil “Babe” Dye became just the second player in NHL history to score 200 career goals on March 19, 1927, then added his 201st in overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 3-2 win at the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Tiny Thompson became just the second rookie goaltender to earn a shutout in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut on March 19, 1929, when he and the Bruins beat the Montreal Canadiens 1-0. Cooney Weiland scored the game’s lone goal; the first postseason contest played at Boston Garden.

Howie Morenz scored a goal and added three assists on March 19, 1932, to lead the Canadiens to a 6-4 overtime win against the Montreal Maroons. The performance gave him 333 career points, passing Cy Denneny as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer.

One year later, the Blackhawks hosted the Red Wings in the first afternoon game in league history. A crowd of 5,500, including NHL President Frank Calder, watched Detroit earn a 4-2 road win despite a two-goal effort by Mush Marsh.

Rookie goaltender Bill Durnan tied Thompson’s single-season record with his 38th win on March 19, 1944, as the Canadiens beat the Rangers 6-1. The win clinched the 1943-44 regular-season championship for Montreal as they finish a record 25 points ahead of the second-place Red Wings.

Ted Kennedy became the third player in Toronto Maple Leafs franchise history to score 200 goals, on March 19, 1953, in a 4-1 road win at the Canadiens.

Hitting 1,000

Bobby Clarke scored a goal for his 1,000th career point on March 19, 1981, as the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Bruins 5-3. Rookie Tim Kerr scored his first career hat trick and added an assist in the victory.

Defenseman Larry Robinson became the fourth player in Canadiens’ history to play in 1,000 NHL games, on March 19, 1986, in a 6-4 loss at the Winnipeg Jets.

Bernie Federko became the first player in St. Louis Blues’ team history to score 1,000 career points on March 19, 1988, with an assist in a 5-3 loss to the Hartford Whalers.

Brian Propp scored two goals to give him 1,000 career NHL points on March 19, 1994, to help lead the Whalers to a 5-3 win over the Flyers.

Calle Johansson scored a goal and added an assist playing in his 1,000th NHL game on March 19, 2001, as the Washington Capitals lost 6-3 to the Rangers. He became just the third Swedish-born player, along with Borje Salming and Ulf Samuelsson, to play 1,000 games.

Hall of Fame Worthy Moments

Goaltender Johnny Bower set a Maple Leafs record with his 33rd win of the season, on March 19, 1960, with a 1-0 shutout at the Blackhawks. He broke the previous record shared by fellow Hall of Famers Turk Broda and Harry Lumley.

Jean Beliveau picked up two assists, on March 19, 1966, during Canadiens’ 6-2 win over the Rangers to give him 900 points in 804 regular-season games.

Gordie Howe scored a goal and added two assists, on March 19, 1969, during the Red Wings’ 4-4 tie with the Oakland Seals. The three-point night gave him 96 on the season, breaking his own record for most points by a right wing he set in 1952-53.

On that same night, Bobby Orr became the second defenseman in NHL history to have a 20-goal season when he scored in the Bruins’ 3-2 win at the Penguins. He tied the single-season record set by Flash Hollett in 1944-45.

Ed Giacomin became the first NHL netminder to record two assists in the same game on March 19, 1972, when the Rangers beat the Maple Leafs 5-3.

In Detroit on this night, rookie Marcel Dionne scored the first hat trick of his career to lead the Red Wings to a 7-6 victory over the Canadiens.

Wayne Gretzky had a goal and an assist to give him 500 career points in 234 games on March 19, 1982, as the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames skated to a 3-3 tie.

On March 19, 1991, Brett Hull joined Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as the only players to have an 80-goal season when he scored during the Blues’ 2-1 win against the Capitals.

Defenseman Larry Murphy scored his 900th career NHL point on March 19, 1994, in the Penguins’ 5-4 win over the visiting Vancouver Canucks. Exactly six years later, as a member of the Red Wings, he played in his 1,550th NHL game. This put him ahead of Alex Delvecchio for second place on the NHL’s all-time games-played list.

Eric Lindros had his first four-goal game on March 19, 1997, and added an assist as the Flyers picked up a 6-3 road win at the Maple Leafs. This was the ninth hat trick of his career.

A year later, Teemu Selanne scored his 258th career goal in his 400th NHL game, as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Flyers tied 3-3. These were the fifth-most goals scored by a player in his first 400 games.

Odds & Ends

Nick Libett became the fifth player to score 200 goals as a member of the Red Wings, on March 19, 1978, in a 6-4 loss at the Colorado Rockies.

On March 19, 1981, the Buffalo Sabres scored an NHL-record nine goals in the second period of their 14-4 blowout of the Maple Leafs. Andre Savard led the way with three goals and three assists, while Gilbert Perreault chipped in with his 12th career hat trick and an assist.

Rick Tocchet scored twice and added two assists on March 19, 1989, in the Flyers’ 8-6 win over the visiting Maple Leafs. This extended his goal-scoring streak to a team-record nine straight games.

Kevin Stevens picked up an assist on March 19, 1992, during the 6-3 Penguins win versus the Quebec Nordiques. This gave him 111 points, setting a new NHL single-season record for U.S.-born players breaking the old mark set by his former teammate Joe Mullen. Also, Tom Barrasso became the 36th goaltender in league history to win 200 games.

Bernie Nicholls scored twice and added three assists, including the 600th assist of his career, on March 19, 1994, to lead the New Jersey Devils to an 8-6 win at the Bruins.

Joel Quenneville and the Blackhawks beat the Blues 4-0 on March 19, 2014, to become just the third head coach to win 700 career games. He joined Scotty Bowman and Al Arbour in the exclusive 700-win club. Quenneville won the first 307 games of his career with the Blues, which are the most victories by a head coach in team history.

Roberto Luongo made 28 saves on March 19, 2018, as the Panthers beat the Canadiens 2-0 in Montreal. This was the 76th shutout of his career, tying both Ed Belfour and Tony Esposito for the ninth-most in NHL history.

Happy Birthday to You

Appropriately, there are 19 current and former NHL players born on this date. The most notable of the March 19 birthday boys are Larry Patey (68), Vladimir Konstantinov (54), Janne Laukkanen (51), Louie DeBrusk (50), Tyler Bozak (35) and Anders Nilsson (31).

By Rob Staggenborg on Mar 18, 2021 05:08 pm

The St. Louis Blues’ offensive struggles and defensive missteps in the first half of the season have been linked to a rash of unexpected injuries. Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, the unsung hero of Game 3 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, was lost for the season on February 22 when he took a puck off the ankle. He had to be helped from the ice. Gunnarsson was expected to play a crucial role in the Blues’ defense this year, the final year of his contract.

To further complicate matters, Robert Thomas broke his thumb on Feb. 6, which took his scoring punch out of the lineup for 4-6 weeks. He only recently started skating, head coach Craig Berube told the media on Mar. 16. Add in the loss of alternate captain Colton Parayko (upper-body injury), Tyler Bozak (upper-body), Jaden Schwartz (upper-body), Ivan Barbashev (lower-body), Mackenzie MacEachern (upper-body), and that makes seven Stanley Cup champions who have been unavailable to play much this season.

But given the Blues’ “next man up” mentality, these injuries have created a golden opportunity both for rookies and veterans. Here are three young players who have stepped into the lineup and created some big moments:

Jordan Kyrou

In 28 games, Kyrou has been a pleasant surprise, although the highly touted prospect was expected to produce some goals. So far, he has netted eight goals and 13 assists, and he is a plus-1 while averaging 15:06 of ice time. His goals have mainly been the result of his quickness and a burst of speed that allows him to get to the puck when others simply cannot.

He ranks fourth among Blues scorers this season, trailing leader David Perron, Ryan O’Reilly, and Brayden Schenn, all NHL veterans.

According to NHL.com, Kyrou impressed the Blues during training camp in the fall of 2018 and was selected for the opening-night roster – a 5-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. He scored his first NHL goal weeks later, on Dec. 9. He had three points (one goal, two assists) in 16 games with the Blues that season and 43 points (16 goals, 27 assists) with their AHL affiliate, San Antonio Rampage. The Blues sent him to the Rampage to start the 2019-20 season, but he was recalled in early December.

His first goal of the 2020-21 season was scored against the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 13. He took a pass from Bozak and Zach Sanford at even strength and buried it at 13:15 of the first period. Weeks later, his speed and theatrics with the puck resulted in a highlight-reel goal just 20 seconds into a January 30 game against the Anaheim Ducks.

“It’s not an overstatement to say Kyrou is likely the fastest player on the ice every shift he plays,” wrote Corey Miller of WKYC in Ohio.

While Kyrou has shown flashes of greatness dating back to his days as a top prospect in the Blues’ system, he has gone through a cooling-off period lately after a blazing start. He has just one point (an assist) in his last five games, with his last goal coming on Mar. 1. Kyrou did piece together a three-game point streak in late February/early March with a goal and an assist against Anaheim, and a goal against the San Jose Sharks.

On February 2 against the Arizona Coyotes, his two assists gave him a remarkable seven goals and 17 points through 18 games and propelled him to second place on the team in points behind Perron. When Barbashev left the game on February 18 with a lower-body injury, Kyrou was elevated to top-line minutes playing alongside O’Reilly and Perron.

On Feb. 20, according to a tweet by Blues beat writer Jeremy Rutherford, Kyrou had what Berube called his best game as a Blue.

Why It Matters: With prolific scorers like Thomas, Tarasenko and Barbashev out of the lineup, Kyrou’s speed with the puck has been one of the Blues’ few offensive weapons in 2020-2021. Berube will need him to contribute in the second half of the season, either by scoring or assisting on goals by players like Tarasenko and Thomas. Both are expected to add a much-needed offensive spark when they return. Tarasenko is already returned, and Thomas is still weeks away from being activated. Schwartz will be back soon as well, Berube told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas (from ‘Looks Like Bozak’s Back and, Schwartz is Close For the Blues,’ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 15, 2021).

Speaking of Kyrou, Berube told Tom Timmerman his young player still has much to learn. “You’ve got to be ready to go at the start of the game. You can’t come into a game and feel your way into it, you can’t be turning pucks over early in games, and being tentative. It’s just about preparing in practice, being the best player in practice on a daily basis.There’s no reason he shouldn’t be with his skill and speed.” (from ‘Blues Notebook: On-the-Job Training Is Proving To Be Tough For Kyrou,’ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 11, 2020)

Niko Mikkola

The rookie from Finland has played in 18 games, scoring his first NHL goal against the Sharks. He has also posted a minus-6 with 15 shots on goal while logging 13:20 ice time per game.

“Clearly, the Blues see something in him as he was signed to a two-year extension worth $787,500 per season, it’s also a one-way deal,” wrote Ethan Carter of THW.com. “With it being a one-way deal, (Mikkola) would make the same salary in the AHL as he would in the NHL. They likely want him to have some sort of role in the NHL this season or next.”

Why it matters: In his debut, Mikkola logged 12:31 ice time and managed to get a shot off. His defensive play has been stellar and necessary, given the injuries to key players.

“He’s an aggressive guy. He checks well,” Berube told Blues’ flagship Fox Sports Midwest of the tall, lanky 24-year-old defenseman from Kiiminki, Finland.

The Blues selected Mikkola in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft. He saw some action briefly in 2020 when he was called up from the Rampage to fill the roster spot vacated by an ailing Parayko. He had an assist in five games and averaged about 14 minutes of ice time.

“He has matured nicely over the last few seasons and was a major factor in helping his native Finland win the World Championship Gold last summer, ” THW reported in June 2020. “He played five games with the big club this season, and he looked solid, prompting some fans to question why he didn’t get a longer stay in the NHL.”

“On any other team, Niko Mikkola would likely already be a lineup fixture,” THW reported last summer.

“I think Mikkola’s been pretty solid to be honest with you,” Berube told Lou Korac according to his February 10 blog post, ‘Blues Notebook,’ In The Slot. “I think he’s done a good job on the penalty kill, I think he’s been closing plays out. I think the other night, a little bit of a tough night for him, a couple goals he was on the ice for. It’s not all his fault, I’m not saying that, but he’s a young kid yet, still learning, but overall, his game’s been pretty good.”

He signed a two-year deal with the Blues on January 30, 2020 worth $1.5 million.

Ville Husso

Played sparingly to spell starter Jordan Binnington, Husso has appeared in 10 games this season with a 5-3-1 record. He has a .879 save percentage and a 3.57 goals-against average. Binnington is clearly the starter and, to be clear, there is no goalie controversy in St. Louis. Well, not just yet.

Why it matters: The St. Louis hockey community has always backed the goalie who’s not playing, like most other NHL markets whose teams have underperformed. The 2020-2021 season is no different. The star goalie just inked a six-year, $36 million deal to be the team’s netminder now and in the future. Even Binnington’s rise as the starter was accelerated in part by public opinion that swayed against previous No. 1 goalie Jake Allen. He was eventually dealt to the Montreal Canadiens in September. In true St. Lous fashion, Allen’s emergence as the starting goalie pushed veteran Brian Elliott out of favor with fans and management, which, eventually, led to his exit from the Gateway City.

Since Grant Fuhr solidified the position from 1996 to 1999, a cavalcade of goalies have run the gamut, from a distinguished list of the Who’s Who Among Pro Goalies to some tough luck players and a few future Zamboni drivers/youth coaches.

Familiar names like Jamie McLellan, Brent Johnson, Roman Turek, Fred Brathwaite, Curtis Sanford, Chris Osgood, Manny Legace, Tom Barrasso, Chris Mason, Ben Bishop and Jaroslav Halak have all tended goal in St. Louis this decade. There have been plenty of unfamiliar names as well – the immortal Chris Beckford-Tseu, Reinhard Divis, and Jason Bacachichua, to name a few.

“There was a time not that long ago when Husso was rated higher on the Blues’ depth chart than Jordan Binnington,” wrote Blues beat writer Jim Thomas (from ‘Updated: Husso Makes His Blues Debut Tonight,’ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 24, 2021).

Husso made his debut on against the Avalanche who jumped all over Binnington to take a four-goal lead heading into the third period. Binnington, a 2020 NHL All-Star, headed for the showers as Husso replaced him in net. Not only did the young goalie face a 4-0 deficit, but the Avs were also on the power play. It was baptism by fire.

“I’ve been very impressed with ‘Huss’ the way he’s been working,” O’Reilly told the Post. “The guy shows up.”

Dakota Joshua – Honorable Mention

Joshua got the attention of Blues fans in a skirmish with the Vegas Golden Knights’ Keegan Kolesar after he laid out Ryan Reaves with a legal – and nearly lethal – check. The Dearborn, Michigan native was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He toiled in the minor leagues for years before joining the AHL’s Utica Comets. Toronto traded him to the Blues in July 2019 for future considerations.

He played his first game for the Blues on March 1. In his first seven NHL games, Joshua has a goal and is minus-1, while averaging 8:25 of time on the ice this season.

Scouts have seen potential in Joshua since he was drafted in 2014, but six years in the minors hasn’t helped his stock.

Joshua is a “big-framed developmental project with excellent reach, puck skills and a 200-foot game,” noted NHL Draft analyst Bill Placzek for Lines.com. “A good skater who once in a specialized weight training program will gain power in his stride and get a lot bigger. That will make him even more of a problem when he sets up in front or battles along the wall.”

Why it matters: Listed as 6-foot-2 and 199 lbs, the 24-year-old immediately provided the grit and youthful exuberance the team sorely needed. In his first start against the Ducks, Joshua bumped in a trash rebound for his first NHL goal.

“Right in the midsection. I’m not too sure, it all happened really fast. A nice greasy, go-to-the-net goal,” Joshua told KSDK.

“I thought he did a good job tonight in his first game,” Berube told KSDK of Joshua’s performance. “He skated and got on top of things. He seems like he’s got some pretty good intelligence out there on the ice… He did a real good job. I’m very happy for him and proud for him to come in and get a goal in his first game in the NHL. That’s a huge thing for a young kid like him.”

In his first pro season (2019-20), Joshua, an Ohio State star, appeared in 30 games with the Rampage, scoring three goals and four assists. He also played 20 games with the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL, scoring three goals and adding eight assists. He played four games for Utica before he joined the Blues’ taxi squad.

As the Blues limp past the season’s midway point, their next slate of games against the Sharks and Golden Knights will determine the team’s success or failure in 2020-2021. For St. Louis to have success, Berube’s squad will have to rely on Husso, Kyrou, Mikkola and Joshua to spell the veterans as they return to the roster. If the team’s fortunes go south, and the Blues find themselves outside of playoff picture, expect these players to earn even more ice time as the team assesses their long-term value to the club.

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