MARYLAND
HEIGHTS, Mo. — Jim
Montgomery knew all along.
Putting the Three Amigos are back together was in the cards all along.
The
St. Louis Blues coach already knew what he
had when training camp began when it came to the line of Brayden
Schenn centering Dylan Holloway and Jordan Kyrou. That line was a
catalyst in helping fuel the Blues’ run to getting back to the
Stanley Cup playoffs a season ago.
There was no need to get an extensive look again.
But
when the Blues signed Pius Suter as a free agent on July 2 and when
camp began, the Blues put Suter between Holloway and Schenn, who was
playing with Jake Neighbours and whoever they would put on that right
wing.
There
was no sign that Schenn was playing with Holloway and Kyrou as camp
progressed, and Suter was the center in the middle for two games. Was
this the changing of the guard, so to speak?
Not
a chance.
When
the Blues got back to practice Tuesday in preparation for their
season- and home-opener Thursday against the Minnesota Wild, there
was Schenn back in that familiar spot. And Montgomery said, “We
will see Schenn there opening night.”
Why?
“Sometimes
as a coach you just trust your gut and I watched camp,” Montgomery
said.
“The most important part of that is Suter came here because he
wants to win, and he is an extremely good locker room guy, a team
guy. He can even plug-and-play. Obviously our captain, we know that
about him. Having those two being able to move between the two and
three hole, it makes it very flexible and one of the reasons I
thought the Suter signing was really important to our team depth.”
Suter
was between Neighbours and Mathieu Joseph, and that looks like the
likely trio that will open Thursday, but this was all along a trial
to see if the Blues could have another option in a long season should
one be needed.
Montgomery
is more that comfortable using either there.
“A
hundred percent. Yeah,” he
said.
“Sometimes you get a feel as a coach that the energy’s going to
be better if we put guys back together that had success last year,
and that’s how we’re going to start the year. It’s going to
change. I guarantee you it’s going to change.”
In
the month beginning March 15 that led the charge to the playoffs,
which included a franchise record 12-game winning streak, Kyrou
benefited the most with 20 points (12 goals, eight assists) in 16
games, Holloway had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 11 games
before his season ended because of injury on April 5, and although
Schenn had just 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 16 games, that
line was so dynamic in so many different ways.
“We
had some really good ‘chem’ last year,” Holloway
said.
“I think as a line, we all complement each other super well.
Definitely real excited to be playing with those guys again and I
think we should be good.
“I
think that’s the goal (is)
to
get back to right where we were. We were playing at such a high level
there for a few months in a row. I think we know what works well for
us, know what we need to do to get to our game. I think as long as we
play smart and playing to our strengths, we’ll get right back to
it.”
That’s
why the trio feels it didn’t need a full training camp together.
“I
know training camp we weren’t together, but we feel like we have
chemistry,” Schenn
said.
“For me, my job is obviously get them the puck and create room and
space and go to the net. They’re obviously both very dynamic and
good shooters. It’s a combination that’s worked in the past. Now
it’s on us to have good communication here early. Probably watch
video from last year of what made us successful and mentally dial it
in and communication’s huge. Last year’s not this year and we
have to find ways to be better.”
In
46 games together last year, the line had a Corsi-for edge of 489-414 and
a 29-13 goals-for edge in 5 on 5 situations and fans were wondering
why would the coaching staff mess with something that obviously
wasn’t broken. Just for that, the option to pivot if necessary.
“Honestly
in camp every year, you’re always with someone and then it switches
and vice versa,” Schenn
said.
“What we talked about two days ago or whatever, we figured it was
going to be a little bit of both with me and ‘Sutes.’ That’s
what’s good about our team. We have interchangeable parts and guys
who can kind of play with whoever. We’ll just kind of see how it
goes with the flow.”
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