Blues aware of current offensive slump but don't seem overly concerned
ST. LOUIS -- Even Kevin Shattenkirk's return couldn't provide a much-needed spark for a Blues offense in one of its worst slumps of the season.
Goals always get tougher to find as the playoffs approach, but St. Louis' scoring has plummeted dramatically since scoring 11 goals in back-to-back wins over Toronto and Winnipeg earlier this month. A number of different issues have combined to limit the Blues to an average of just two goals in nine games for the first time all season.
An obvious starting point would be zero first-period goals during that stretch, a number Ken Hitchcock and others have mostly downplayed until this week. St. Louis' style relies on wearing down opponents and generally leads to more offense in the second and third periods, but Hitchcock admits his team's offense has looked awful out of the gate.
"We're too unpredictable at the start of games," Hitchcock says. "We become very predictable in the second period and third period after we have a meeting of the minds, but we need to have less of a meeting of the minds and get into same-page stuff."
He says unpredictability leads to slower skating and puck movement, two of the biggest reasons the Blues aren't generating a lot of high-quality chances. Playing "downhill" continues to be a major emphasis, and Hitchcock says too often St. Louis plays "sideways" and doesn't do enough to attack the net.
It's not as if the Blues aren't spending time with the puck in the offensive zone, either, as they've fired plenty of shots on goal. But more than 30 shots on goal resulted in as many as three goals only once in the past nine games, and even then St. Louis needed overtime to knock off Pittsburgh 3-2.
"I think we have to just finish better and do the simple stuff like go to the net, shoot the puck," center Jori Lehtera says. "We are there, but we are not in the place where we can score. We have shots and everything, but we have to do the dirty work before."
That means creating traffic in front of goaltenders and winning loose pucks, both along the boards and in the neutral zone. Forward T.J. Oshie says more players could learn from Vladimir Tarasenko, who looks to score every time he touches the puck.
He's tied for the Western Conference lead with 36 goals, including two in the last four games. But the typical production hasn't been there recently from Oshie, David Backes and Jaden Schwartz, three forwards who have combined for four goals in the last nine games.
Breaking out of the recent scoring slump will be even tougher without Alexander Steen, the Blues' leader with 39 points since Jan. 1 and four goals in the last seven games. He's day to day with a lower-body injury and will be sorely missed, especially on the power play.
"He's been the quarterback on the power play all year," Hitchcock says. "He kills penalties. He's out there to take every first start of every PK and he obviously plays on our top line, so it's significant."
But Oshie says he's ready to return after missing Saturday's game with the flu, and Shattenkirk should be better in his second game back following an injury that kept him out for nearly two months. Olli Jokinen will take Steen's spot in the lineup Monday night against Vancouver, and Hitchcock says it's a great chance for the veteran to prove he can still thrive with top players.
Despite their offensive struggles, St. Louis has still managed to win four games and earn two points in a pair of overtime losses in its last nine games, largely thanks to improved defense. Lehtera says that could be a result of the Blues recognizing their scoring struggles, and Oshie says it reflects what the team has emphasized in practice.
"On the videos, it seems like we're so focused on neutral zone forechecks and things like that, the goals (or the scoring chances) kind of get overlooked," Oshie says. "It comes down to us wanting to score goals."
If it's really that simple, now would be a good time for that focus to change.
You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter at @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.
