Struggling Blues power play, 31st in NHL, again switches up personnel on both units
Another day, another change to the Blues power play.
During practice on Friday, the Blues debuted another look on their power play, which entered the day ranked as the second-worst unit in the NHL, scoring on just 11.8% of their chances. St. Louis has scored two power-play goals in the last four weeks, and both were by Dylan Holloway.
On Friday, the first unit consisted of Brayden Schenn at the net-front, Colton Parayko in the left circle, Jordan Kyrou in the bumper, Pavel Buchnevich in the right circle and Justin Faulk at the point. The second unit was Oskar Sundqvist at the net-front, Jake Neighbours on the left flank, Brandon Saad in the bumper, Holloway on the right flank and Scott Perunovich at the point.
"Right now, it's not working, so we can't stick with the same thing," Blues coach Drew Bannister said. "Whether it's our net-front or it's our flankers or our guys up top, we're searching for answers and trying to find combinations in the right spot for right now with the players that we have to have success."
One of the biggest changes appears to be Parayko's ascension to the top unit, and in a position when he can use his heavy one-timer. When Parayko scored his second of two goals on Saturday against Toronto, it was a one-timer just as a Blues power play was expiring.
The other eye-opener was moving Neighbours from his familiar spot at the net-front and onto the flank, where he played in both junior hockey and in the AHL. Neighbours played at the net-front on the power play in every game he's been in the lineup since last November.
The Blues went 0 for 3 on Thursday against Utah, and that included a three-minute power play after Maveric Lamoureux's kneeing major. St. Louis is 0 for 10 in the last four games on the power play.
St. Louis has been on the power play 34 times in 14 games, and the 2.43 chances per game is the fewest in the NHL.
"We have one power play a game," Buchnevich said. "Of course you're not going to score. Give Toronto or Tampa Bay one power play a game, they're not going to score. Doesn't have a feeling, doesn't have a confidence. If you have two, three a game, four, maybe you generate something, give momentum."
Delivering a message
About 10 minutes into practice on Friday morning, Bannister stopped the drills and gathered his team at center ice to deliver a profane address that implored his team to work harder, and to treat the game-like situations in practice more seriously.
"I just felt I needed to get the attention of the team at one point of practice here today," Bannister said. "So I got their attention."
During Thursday's loss to the Utah Hockey Club, the Blues managed just 15 shots on goal, a total Bannister attributed to his club's lack of a forecheck.
Bolduc out
During practice on Friday, Zack Bolduc skated as an extra forward as Kasperi Kapanen entered the lineup on a line with Brandon Saad and Oskar Sundqvist. Kapanen was dealing with an upper-body injury, but would have gone into the lineup on Thursday if Holloway was unable to play after he was hit in the neck by a puck on Tuesday.
Asked about Bolduc's game, Bannister said "he's struggling at both ends to put it together."
"There are some real good things to his game that weren't part of his game, his physicality and stuff, his attention to detail on the defensive side," Bannister said. "I think that's slipped for us. Offensively, those are his instincts and his strengths in his game and working into areas where he can get chances. I think that's an area that he has to focus on to give himself, and build his confidence too."
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