MARYLAND
HEIGHTS, Mo. -- It’s one final
opportunity for those in the St. Louis Blues lineup on Saturday
against the Chicago Blackhawks to make a lasting impression before
opening night lineups need to be submitted.
The
Blues (1-3-1) and Blackhawks (2-3-0) will close the preseason at 6
p.m. (stlblues.com, Blues app, ESPN 101.1-FM) from United Center in
Chicago before it all gets underway on Thursday against the Minnesota
Wild.
Guys
that will be in the lineup tonight looking to make that impression
include Alexandre Texier, Milan Lucic, Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto
Stenberg, Hunter Skinner and Leo Loof before decisions are made.
“See
guys grab a spot,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “For some of
the guys, it’s their last impression to make the team.”
One
to keep an eye on is Texier, who is on the fringe despite being on an
NHL contract, in the final year of a two-year, $4.2 million contract
signed before being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets prior to
last season.
And
the word that keeps coming up when talking about Texier: consistency.
“I
thought in camp like Day 1 was really good. Day 2 wasn’t as good as
Day 1,” Montgomery said. “I talked to him about consistency. It’s
always been something that needs for everybody’s game, but his game
since he’s been a Blue, consistency game in game out, what we can
expect. And then I thought the first game he played in Columbus, I
thought he was good. And then the last game that he played, he played
on a line with him and I think (Mathieu) Joseph was at center and
Lucic I think was the line. They didn’t have a real center, so
tonight he’s playing with (Pius) Suter and (Jordan) Kyrou, so it’s
a good opportunity for him tonight.
“You
can say part of it is he hasn’t played a stretch of 10 games in a
row. That could be it. But it’s up to players to earn the
opportunity to play 10 games in a row, and unfortunately last year
when he was on a good run, both times, one right before Christmas and
one right before we came back from 4 Nations, unfortunately he fell
ill and it cost him an opportunity to stay in the lineup.”
Texier
knows tonight will be important for him.
“You’ve
just got to play the same way every single night, no matter what, and
that’s what I’m trying to do, play the same way and be
consistent,” Texier said. “… You’ve just go to play the same
way and be consistent no matter with you you play. I’m just going
to try and play my game. It’s the last game of preseason. I know
I’ve got to have a good one.
“In
this league, you go up and down. Things can change quick. You just
focus on your game and try to bring your best with your line that
you’re playing with that night.”
When
Texier is at his best, Montgomery said he’s “Dynamic,
incredible puck protection, speed in transition offensively and
defensively and someone that just wins a lot of puck battles when
he’s on top of his game. It’s
very noticeable.
“I
think he can fit any line role when he’s on top of his game. He’s
scored goals on the first line last year, he’s scored goals on the
third line and fourth line. He’s just a dynamic, talented player
that hopefully he gets that confidence and is able to do some of
those things that we’re hoping for.”
Texier
had just 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 31 games, his first
with the Blues.
“It’s
in the past,” Texier said. “It was a tough season. I don’t want
to look back. It’s a new season, I’m fresh and I’m ready to
go.”
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For
a guy like Stenberg, who is likely to play in Springfield of the
American Hockey League this season, it’s been a really strong camp,
his first in St. Louis.
“Real
smart hockey player,” Montgomery said. “I think someone that the
more you’re around him as a coach, you become trustworthy with them
because he’s very intelligent and picks up how we want to play,
picks up nuances of the gray area that always exists in a fluid game
of hockey. Just a real good hockey player. Now we need to see the
consistency as a pro and can he handle the speed, size and strength
of the NHL. That’s something if we don’t find it out this year,
we’re going to find it out pretty soon.”
It’s
been quite the impression from someone transitioning from Europe to
North American
“I
think it’s been very impressive,” Montgomery said. “Personally
I feel like he’s adapted really well as someone coming over. Now
maybe a half a year in Springfield helped him adapt and that’s why
it’s always smart to come over when you can when the team wants you
to come and have an opportunity to be part of the organization as
quick as possible.”
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Defenseman
Logan Mailloux, who will be paired with Tyler Tucker tonight, will
quarterback PP1 for the Blues, which includes Jimmy Snuggerud, Robert
Thomas, Texier and Stenberg.
The
Blues will head into the season with Cam Fowler and Justin Faulk as
their power play quarterbacks, but the thought of an offensive
defenseman like Mailloux is an intriguing option if necessary. But
not at this moment.
“We
want Mailloux to really just focus on being a really good 5-on-5
defenseman, 200-foot defenseman that he has shown at both ends of the
ice already. And a penalty killer,” Montgomery said. “We have two
veteran defensemen that know … our power play was third in the NHL
post-Christmas. We don’t need a lot of tweaks there right now until
we see that there may need to be.”
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Blues
Projected Lineup:
Jake
Neighbours-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggeruid
Alexandre
Texier-Pius Suter-Jordan Kyrou
Milan
Lucic-Nick Bjugstad-Alexey Toropchenko
Otto
Stenberg-Dalibor Dvorsky-Aleksanteri Kaskimaki
Tyler
Tucker-Logan Maulloux
Leo
Loof-Matthew Kessel
Theo
Lindstein-Hunter Skinner
Joel
Hofer will start in goal; Colten Ellis will be the backup.
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Blackhawks
Roster:
Flyers Reportedly 'Open' to Trading Emil AndraeAfter Emil Andrae failed to make the Philadelphia Flyers roster out of training camp, the team is reportedly open to moving on from the undersized defenseman.
