ST.
LOUIS – From
the moment that agonizing, excruciating loss against the Winnipeg
Jets ended their season in May, the St. Louis Blues have counted down
the days until they can begin the process of growing from such an
experience and rectifying the agony.
That
time has come with the 2025-26 season opener on Thursday when the
Blues entertain the Minnesota Wild (7 p.m.; FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).
When
the puck drops, the Blues want to get off on the front foot and
regain the momentum they had at the end of the regular season when
they made it into the playoffs as the second wild card but lost to
the Jets in seven games, a 4-3 double overtime loss, despite leading
game
7 3-1 with two minutes remaining.
That
stench probably sits in many players’ minds, and knowing it all
gets going for real tonight makes it even more meaningful to start
off on the right foot.
“It
makes your life a lot easier when you start out good,” Blues
center Robert Thomas said.
“I think every team wants to get a good start so they don’t have
to do that on the back half. We feel like we can keep that momentum
going from last year. The majority of the team’s the same except
for a couple new pieces who are really excited. We’re really
excited to have them. We feel like we can keep that momentum going
and put ourselves in a good spot in December, January.”
Enterprise
Center will be loud. It was loud during the playoff series against
the Jets, and Blues coach Jim Montgomery said home ice dominance will
be imperative.
“We
know we love playing in front of our great fans,” he
said.
“We know it’s going to be loud here tonight. It’s our job to
make sure they stay loud.
“I
think it’s really playing on your toes and trying to get to our
identity as quick as we can. Teams like Minnesota, they got to their
identity right away. They had a great start. That’s the way you
want to start is get to your identity. Having watched a lot of games
over the last two nights, you see some teams that are playing slow
and the teams that are playing fast and to their identity know what
they’re doing when they get to the puck. They’re playing fast and
it’s pretty evident that they’re a little bit ahead of the
curve.”
There’s
been a certain style of play that makes Montgomery feel good that
this group can, and will, start off well.
“How
sharp our goalies and defensemen have been,” the coach said. “I
think that’s what gives me confidence that we’re going to start
off well and we’re going to get to our identity pretty quick. Our
defensemen are long, they skate pretty well, their gaps have been
really good and our physicality has gone up in our D-corps. That
gives me a lot of confidence and when you have (Jordan) Binnington in
there, someone that is just serene in nets how calm he makes the rest
of us. That’s something that obviously gives you confidence you can
get off to a good start.”
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Since
the Blues know what they’re going to get from the defense and
goaltending, or at least Montgomery believes, they could use a jolt
from their top-line players, like Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich and Jimmy
Snuggerud, who will be looked upon to supply a load of the firepower.
And
what needs to happen for that to be optimal?
“I
think possession, having the puck, being all over the puck,” Thomas
said. “There’s nights where even if you’re trying to make a
play, it gets tipped but you’re so quick and you’re on it again.
That’s what makes us really successful is we can make plays off the
rush and we can do that every night, but in the zone, those broken
plays, being on pucks, spreading it around, making teams try and
defend us, I think that’s what creates our really good nights.”
It
was pretty clear that Thomas and Snuggerud have developed quite the
chemistry already.
“It’s
pretty easy. He’s got a great shot. He’s fast,” Thomas
said. “He can make
that extra move to get into a scoring chance and shoot it. Me and
‘Buchy’ have played together four years. It definitely takes
time, but we’re happy to have him, he’s going to be a big part of
our future. It’s a great time to get it rolling.”
For
Snuggerud, who has the potential to be a Calder Trophy candidate,
just be ready to shoot the puck.
“Expect
the puck at all times, that’s No. 1. And No. 2, get yourself in
position to score, whether it’s off the rush, driving backdoor,
whether it’s in the offensive zone getting inside the dots, not
outside the dots so when he gives it to you, you’ve upgraded your
scoring opportunity,” Montgomery said.
And
for Buchnevich?
“I
think he’s done everything he has to do as far as being in real
good shape, being healthy right now,” Montgomery said. “And then
the rest is just trusting his instincts. Another guy with high-end
offensive and defensive instincts. Him just trusting what he sees and
natural second- and third-effort with his health, I think we’re
going to get the type of player that complements those guys well and
they complement him really well.”
Thomas
will put up the numbers, undoubtedly, but what about those tough
matchups, like the one he will get with Kirill Kaprizov, who just
recently signed the biggest contract in NHL history ($17 million
average annual value for eight years)?
“Obviously
he’s one of the top players in the league, so creative,” Thomas
said of Kaprizov. “He
finds ways to score, not just by shooting but by tips, by positioning
himself. He’s very slippery, he finds those quiet areas really well
and everyone kind of looks for him. It’s a really tough test, it’s
exciting to get a test like that right off the first game of the
season. I’m excited for it.
“Whatever
helps get the win. Every night’s different, whether you try and
produce more or try and just be overall better. It kind of depends on
the night. If you can come out with a win and either of those happen,
then you can be happy with it.”
On
Kaprizov, Montgomery said, “What
separates him, I don’t know if it separates him from the great
players. The great players, they’re all ultra-competitive, they all
want the puck, they don’t stop until they get the puck. His ability
to drive offense as a winger is very similar to (Artemi) Panarin and
(David) Pastrnak, guys that even if they don’t have, and I’m not
saying he doesn’t have it, I’m just saying all these guys I’ve
seen them do it without your prototypical {Aleksander) Barkov,
(Nathan) MacKinnon or (Connor) McDavid at center, they assume role
and they carry the puck through the neutral zone. So they almost as a
winger, they act like a center. And then just how dangerous he is
everywhere. He scores goals, the beautiful goals, the one-timers, the
off-the-rush goals and he’s really dangerous and really persistent
in getting to the net front in the O-zone. There’s a lot of ways
and you have to be aware of him. Defensemen have to be aware of him,
forwards have to be aware of him.”
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Thursday
marks the debut of defenseman Logan Mailloux, who was acquired from
the Montreal Canadiens for Zack Bolduc, who scored in his Canadiens
debut on Wednesday, on July 1.
Mailloux
will be paired with Tyler Tucker, and has enjoyed every minute since
his arrival.
“It’s
more excitement than anything,” Mailloux said. “I think I’m
just looking forward to getting some games and then get back to the
schedule of a season. I haven’t played 82 games either so it’s
going to be a lot. It’s good because after the summer break, you’re
kind of itching to get back to playing games and stuff like that. I’m
definitely more excited than nervous.
“It’s
definitely a different style of play (in St. Louis). I feel like all
of the defensemen are pretty involved here, whether it’s jumping in
the rush. I’m not saying that they aren’t in Montreal. Obviously
there’s some skilled offensive defensemen there, but I feel like
it’;s how our system works where it’s a five-man unit. All the
guys are going whether it’s off of breakouts or in the O-zone
play.”
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Blues
Projected
Lineup:
Pavel
Buchnevich-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
Dylan
Holloway-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou
Jake
Neighbours-Pius Suter-Mathieu Joseph
Alexey
Toropchenko-Nick Bjugstad-Nathan Walker
Cam
Fowler-Colton Parayko
Philip
Broberg-Justin Faulk
Tyler
Tucker-Logan Mailloux
Jordan
Binnington will start in goal;
Joel Hofer will
be the backup.
Healthy
scratches include Alexandre
Texier and
Matthew
Kessel. Oskar Sundqvist (lower body) is
considered week to week and will miss at least the first three games.
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Wild
Projected
Lineup:
Kirill
Kaprizov-Marco Rossi-Matt Boldy
Marcus
Foligno-Joel Eriksson Ek-Vladimir Tarasenko
Yakov
Trenin-Ryan Hartman-Marcus Johansson
Liam
Ohgren-Hunter Haight-Vinnie Hinostroza
Jacob
Middleton-Brock Faber
Zeev
Buium-Jared Spurgeon
Zack
Bogosian-David Jiricek
Filip
Gustavsson will start in goal; Jesper Wallstedt will be the backup.
Healthy
scratches include Daemon
Hunt and
Danila
Yurov. Jonas Brodin (upper body), Mats Zuccarello (lower body) and
Nico
Sturm (back)
are out.
Blues Have Experience On Defense, It Will Be Key For Tucker, Mailloux To Make Group WholeMARYLAND
HEIGHTS, Mo. -- When
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the
Minnesota Wild on Thursday, they will introduce what they hope
are a pair of mainstays on the blue line for some time.
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HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Jim
Montgomery knew all along.
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LOUIS – The NHL season for 2025-26 drops the puck on Tuesday. For
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