最新杏吧原创

After Wednesday鈥檚 practice, the 最新杏吧原创 Blues sat and stretched in a circle around center ice, except for Pavel Buchnevich. The forward stood by the boards with coach Jim Montgomery. They talked and talked for a couple of minutes. Then Buchnevich skated toward the circle to stretch, and they continued to talk.

Of course, a picture is worth a thousand words 鈥� but can the thousand words they said be worth some offense?

Two games in, and Buchi has one shot. He鈥檚 minus-3 for the series. And the Blues enter Thursday鈥檚 Game 3 down 2-0 鈥� to the team with the most points in the regular season.

In the two games vs. Winnipeg, the Blues have one five-on-five goal, netted by an unlikely scorer in third-line center Oskar Sundqvist.

The Blues collective would say the 鈥渙nus is on us,鈥� but if we鈥檙e doing this here, it鈥檚 particularly on the top line of Buchnevich, Jimmy Snuggerud and center Robert Thomas.

Yes, Thomas is playing hurt. Yes, Snuggerud is young. Still, the Blues need more from these boys. Perhaps the best way to activate the Blues鈥� top line is not to match it against the Jets鈥� top line.

Now that 最新杏吧原创 is home, Montgomery has the strategic advantage of the last line change throughout the game. Putting Brayden Schenn鈥檚 line (with Jake Neighbours and Jordan Kyrou) on the Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Alex Iafallo line could provide more physicality (notably from Schenn and Neighbours) and give the Thomas line some new looks.

After practice at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, I asked Montgomery about getting Buchnevich to be more effective offensively.

鈥淚 think Buchi has been good for us, but I understand the question, and I think he needs to, very similar to the team, possess pucks more when he鈥檚 in the offensive zone,鈥� Montgomery said. 鈥淭he puck鈥檚 on his stick, usually good things happen. And it hasn鈥檛 been there enough.鈥�

Buchnevich, who turned 30 at the start of this series, scored in five of the final six games of the regular season. And in the final 13 games, he had 14 points (seven goals, seven assists). Oh, and Thomas was the hottest player in hockey after the 4 Nations Face-Off break (as his team was the hottest team). And Snuggerud, 20, skipped class to show up for the Blues鈥� final games and this series. He really has played some good hustle hockey 鈥� and he netted the power-play goal in the 2-1 Game 2 loss 鈥� but his line has yet to explode against the Jets.

鈥淚 thought the first game, maybe a little bit of nerves,鈥� Montgomery said of Snuggerud, fresh off his college hockey season with Minnesota. 鈥淭he playoffs is a whole other level he鈥檚 never seen in his life. And then, he quickly adjusts. He鈥檚 a really smart, competitive player, and you can tell that he adjusted to the speed of Stanley Cup playoffs in Game 2.鈥�

As for Buchnevich鈥檚 lack of shots, Montgomery pointed out that it鈥檚 not simply about shots but grade-A scoring chances. Getting those chances means getting the Blues in the blue paint. Net-front, net-front, net-front.

鈥淲e have to get out from the corners,鈥� Buchnevich said Wednesday. 鈥淲e have to spread them and get some good shots with the bodies in front (of the net). Sometimes, the D gets the puck and the forwards are still in the corner. Basically they box out before the shot is coming and (goalie Connor) Hellebuyck see most of the shots. It鈥檚 hard to score like that. ...

鈥淲e have to spread the zone and get more possession time. We chip the puck and we have two against four, two against five ... it鈥檚 hard to win the puck. We have to make one against one or two against two and it will make offense easy for us. We鈥檙e going to work tomorrow to try and do it.鈥�

They couldn鈥檛 work too much at it on Wednesday because Thomas didn鈥檛 practice. Montgomery said Thomas is 鈥渁 player鈥� for Game 3. But the sensational passer sat out to rest what appears to be a leg injury.

During Game No. 82, he was smacked in the leg by a stick and left the ice before the game ended. According to Post-Dispatch reporter Tom Timmermann, who was at Winnipeg, Thomas walked gingerly in the dressing room.

So we don鈥檛 know, if you will, what percentage Thomas is playing at, nor do we know the same for defenseman Colton Parayko. But it鈥檚 likely not 100. Also, the Blues are without breakout player Dylan Holloway, who is injured. Since his absence began in April, the second line has struggled at times. And missing Holloway has trickled into other elements of the team.

All this said, all it takes is one good game to change the season鈥檚 trajectory. A win in Game 3 on Thursday and 最新杏吧原创 is right back in this series. A loss Thursday and, well, the series and season are pretty much doomed.

So yeah, big game Thursday. We鈥檒l see if the Blues鈥� top line can play like one.