2. Know Your Enemy
It’s the second in a three-game, Western Canadian road trip for St. Louis, who saw its seven-game point streak snapped Sunday with a 3-2 loss in Winnipeg. The Blues outshot their hosts 31-18, but Eric Comrie made 29 saves to earn the win for the home side.
Dalibor Dvorsky and Calgarian Dylan Holloway had the Blues markers Sunday but post-game, Head Coach Jim Montgomery pointed to a lack of presence in front of the crease as one of the contest’s determining factors.
“I think Winnipeg was better than us at the net-fronts, which is an area where offensively we haven’t gone,” Montgomery told reporters post-game. “We don’t consistently screen goalies, and it’s a big reason why we haven’t scored as much as we were expecting this year.”
The month of March has brought significant change in St. Louis. Gone are captain Brayden Schenn and veteran defenceman Justin Faulk, both of whom the Flames saw on their recent five-game swing against the Islanders and Red Wings, respectively.
Centre Robert Thomas is the Blues’ pace-setter with 44 points, and his 16 goals match Calgary’s Blake Coleman’s for their side’s respective team lead.
St. Louis sits five points up on the Flames in the Western Conference standings, while their 24 regulation wins are the most of any Western club currently below the playoff safety line.
