Bortuzzo adds a physical element to Blues' recently emerging defense
ST. LOUIS -- Greater defensive prowess in some recent games could be just what the Blues need to gear up for a postseason run -- especially with a couple of new hands on deck.
The addition of Pittsburgh defenseman Robert Bortuzzo should bolster those efforts, as well as Arizona defenseman Zbynek Michalek when he recovers from a concussion. Bortuzzo could play as soon as Thursday in Philadelphia, where St. Louis will try to bounce back from some defensive lapses in a 6-5 shootout loss at Vancouver.
"He's just solid everywhere," coach Ken Hitchcock says. "He's a solid person, team guy, right shot, he plays within his limitations. He makes you a little bit bigger in your lineup."
Blues captain David Backes learned about Bortuzzo's toughness less than two weeks ago during a confrontation between the two players late in the Penguins' 4-2 win. No punches were thrown, but both players got ejections for game misconduct.
Bortuzzo says they've put that argument behind them, and he's eager to add a physical element sometimes lacking on the Blues' back line. His former Pittsburgh teammate Marcel Goc, who joined St. Louis via trade in February, says the 6-foot-4, 215-pound defenseman can play just about any style of hockey.
That should make him a perfect fit for his new team, which thrived on defense for the first two months of the season before the Blues' offense became the league's most prolific after Thanksgiving. They kept heating up through December and caught fire in January, going 9-1-1 while averaging more than four goals per game.
Then perhaps the league's best offensive defenseman, Kevin Shattenkirk, went down with an injury Feb. 1, and everything changed again. Inconsistent defense resulted in some ugly performances, including a 7-1 loss at Columbus, a 5-2 loss to Montreal that could have been much worse, and five consecutive goals by Vancouver on Sunday.
Other nights, though, the Blues have shown significant improvements on the defensive end. Veteran defenseman Barret Jackman says success limiting odd-man rushes starts with being more aware in the offensive zone, and goaltender Brian Elliott emphasizes it's a team effort.
"I think it's the forwards that are helping the D out a little bit more," Elliott says. "They can kind of pressure up and pinch and the forwards are backing them up, and when communication is not happening, that's when you have your odd-man rushes."
Those improvements mean fewer shots on goal, or at least fewer point-blank opportunities. That gives Elliott a better chance to shine, and he made 30 saves or more in three 2-1 wins that required overtime last month.
It took an incredible 40-save effort from Elliott on Feb. 2 to beat Tampa Bay 2-1 on Jaden Schwartz's overtime goal in St. Louis' first game without Shattenkirk in the lineup. Prior to that win, the Blues had scored only one goal in regulation and still earned two points once, when they beat New Jersey 1-0 on Nov. 4.
Other than Jake Allen's improbable 2-0 shutout of Anaheim in late October with Backes and T.J. Oshie sidelined by injury, St. Louis didn't even have another regulation win with fewer than three goals prior to the All-Star Break. That all changed in February, when five of the Blues' nine wins came by a final score of 2-1, capped off by a regulation win at last-place Edmonton.
"Going into the playoffs, those are the ones you have to win," Elliott says. "It doesn't matter how good a team is or where they are in the standings, it's how you kind of come together at the end and take out a win like that in a (hostile) building."
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Even if Sunday's three-goal third period doesn't break the offense out of its slump, a revamped, deeper defensive unit should make St. Louis more capable of grinding out wins. Perhaps the addition of forward Olli Jokinen will help, but Bortuzzo knows his primary job will be to make sure the puck gets to a capable group of forwards, not replacing Shattenkirk's offensive production.
Hitchcock likes the increased competition on defense and hopes it will bring out the kind of intensity the Blues will need heading into the postseason. They play 14 of their final 20 games against teams that would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, and they have a real opportunity to catch Nashville at the top of the Central Division thanks to four straight losses by the Predators.
"We are going to get some single elimination playoff-type games here coming up, and a lot of them," Hitchcock says. "So before you can even think about the playoffs, you're going to play in some highly volatile, intense hockey games."
These are the times when every goal will be precious, and strong defense will be mandatory.
You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter at @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.
