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Observations From Blues' 7-1 Preseason Win Vs. Senators

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ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Blues picked up their first win of the preseason with a decisive 7-1 win against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday at Enterprise Center.

The Blues (1-3-1) came into the game one of two teams without a preseason win, and coach Jim Montgomery made mention of that earlier in the day following the morning skate, taking about that it was a point made.

They certainly got it, despite the Senators (2-3-0) only bringing a handful of experienced NHL players, including St. Louisan Brady Tkachuk.

“In a lot of ways, there was parts of our game where we played north, the way we stretched the ice, transitioned offensively,” Montgomery said. “I didn’t like our transition defensively as much. We gave too many odd-man rushes that thankfully our defensemen handled well and ‘Binner’ made a lot of big-time saves. We’re looking to continue to build towards 60 minutes of good hockey and I thought that that was 45 minutes of it.”

Five Blues had multi-point games, including defenseman Philip Broberg, who had two goals and an assist; Robert Thomas had a goal and two assists; Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and an assist and Jimmy Snuggerud and Nick Bjugstad each had two assists.

“I think we’ve had a good training camp and I think we played pretty good today,” Broberg said. “I’m excited for the season to start.”

Here are tonight’s observations:

* Jordan Binnington doesn’t need any more work; he’s ready for Oct. 9 – This is the third straight start that Binnington has looked razor sharp.

He was a wall again, this time playing his first full game of the preseason after going two in the opener against the Dallas Stars (a 2-1 shootout loss) and a 4-2 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks, allowing just one combined goal in those games.

Binnington has played seven periods over three preseason games and will finish with a 0.86 goals-against average and .973 save percentage.

The Senators peppered Binnington with 37 shots and he stopped 36 of them, and making a number of those saves, even the high-danger ones look easy.

“It was fun tonight in that atmosphere, at home, we were scoring goals, playing hard,” Binnington said. “Nice to get a victory.

“I feel good right now. It is just preseason, a long way to go, but I’m just trying to focus on my process. That’s where my head’s at.”

* Logan Mailloux is ready for the NHL – Sometimes you have to get an extensive look at a young kid, particularly one that’s raw and one that was part of a hockey trade in which the Blues had to sacrifice one of their good, young players.

The Blues wanted to bring in someone they could build on their blue line that came with some good pedigree.

Logan Mailloux seems to fit the part, and each time inserted into the lineup, he’s passed the tests.

Mailloux had an assist and was a plus-2 in 22:50 of ice time with three shot attempts and three hits. He had one giveaway, but when put under duress against an aggressive Ottawa forecheck in this game, the 22-year-old managed to stay calm and make the right reads and right plays to transition pucks up ice. He used his stick well again in breaking up plays.

“I was really pleased with his ability with how he skates, how he makes plays, he’s a very confident offensive-defenseman, and I didn’t know how well he defended with his stick,” Montgomery said. “I did see tonight areas that we’re going to have to continue to work with him, but you expect that. As you start to watch your players more and more, you get used to them. You start to see obviously the positives. There’s so many positives with him.

“He’s a young defenseman. He’s going to play his first year full time in the league, and there’s going to be areas that we’re going to have to work with him. We’re going to see them as they develop. He was a dominant player in the American (Hockey) League and we know he’s going to be that in the NHL, but there’s going to be growing pains to get there, just like any player.”

When asked if he’s ready for the NHL, Montgomery said, “He’s ready. He’s ready to be an NHL player.”

* Broberg has ability to be strong offensive defenseman – Broberg’s two goals on Thursday came in a pair of varieties.

The first which put the Blues ahead 5-0 at 16:32 of the second period was off a Thomas pass, and Broberg showed the calmness and poise to outwait Senators goalie Leevi Merilainen to tuck home the forehand.

And then 27 seconds later at 16:59, Broberg recognizes a chance to jump in off the far side and take Buchnevich’s pass into the left circle and rip a dart top shelf:

Broberg, who had 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 68 games last season and was a plus-21 – all career-highs.

“I want to improve offensively for sure,” Broberg said. “I still want to be responsible defensively as well and be a two-way guy. I want to improve every day and just try and take steps.”

* Top line had chance to shine, and did – For the second time this preseason, the Blues had the opportunity to showcase the Buchnevich-Thomas-Snuggerud line and it combined for seven points (two goals, five assists) on the night.

“Their transition game was top notch and each has the ability to shoot, make pinpoint passes and plays at a top-notch rate.

“Really explosive tonight, dynamic,” Montgomery said. “Still a little too careless with the puck trying to force too much. Some of that’s dictated by the score, but we’re looking to get the good habits that are winning hockey. Unfortunately when the score gets to 4-, 5-, 6-0, your players tend to flaw. They take the foot off the gas pedal so to speak and that’s something we want to build into our game. Doesn’t matter, we just keep playing Blues hockey.”

Snuggerud is known as the shooter, but he picks up the loose change off a Justin Faulk miss and finds Thomas in front for the finish at 3-0 at 7:37 of the first:

“He’s a great player,” Thomas said of Snuggerud. “Obviously he’s got a great shot, but when he has the puck on his stick, he likes to make moves, he likes to pass, he sees the ice really well. There’s not just shooters anymore. He can do a lot of good things out there.”

* Blues utilize their opportunities to break out with stretch passes – Mathieu Joseph and Oskar Sundqvist got the Blues on the board Thursday, Joseph scoring on a breakaway at 3:53 of the first for a 1-0 lead, and Sundqvist making it 2-0 at 5:59, but those plays came off of things the Blues like and want to do: breaking up ice quickly with the wingers so the d-men can find them in transition.

“As soon as we know we’re going to get possession, whether we can do examples like that, which are like the (Jordan) Kyrou (in the second period) one was a fortunate breakaway just like the Joseph goal. But that being said, it’s more having a five-guys-go mentality of we’re sprinting north when we’re getting possession. Sometimes it’s within your own zone, but the other team knows that if they don’t get back, we’re going to have numbers and we’re going to have speed coming at you.”

-- The Blues close the preseason on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks, a game in which they will take a lot of their Springfield players to play, and Colten Ellis, Binnington’s backup Thursday, is likely to get the start in that game.

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