St. Louis Blues coach Jim Montgomery retains juggling his ahead strains in the hunt for combos able to producing his desired enjoying type.
His new fourth line of heart Oskar Sundqvist between wingers Nathan Walker and Alexey Toropchenko grew to become his prime line because the Blues held on for a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night time.
Montgomery hopes the Blues can construct on the gritty tone that trio set after they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night time.
Sundqvist and Toropchenko missed time with accidents earlier this season, delaying meeting of the fourth line Montgomery projected in the course of the offseason.
It lastly got here collectively this week, and it clicked.
“I do not suppose you possibly can measure how a lot they might help us as a result of everyone sees what they do, they usually do it the fitting method,” Montgomery mentioned. “They do not cheat the sport in any respect. It is infectious, after which everybody begins enjoying the fitting method. All people’s on the fitting facet of the puck.”
Sundqvist (two assists), Walker (purpose) and Toropchenko (help) mixed for 4 factors in opposition to the Flames. They performed extensively in a checking position in the course of the ultimate 5:06 of the sport because the Blues survived Calgary’s comeback bid.
“Clearly, the 2 targets are good, however the belief that they will get the job finished as a result of they do not take the straightforward method out,” Montgomery mentioned. “They achieve strains, they take hits to make performs. When that occurs, it builds momentum on our workforce as a result of our workforce sees the trouble, the second and third effort.”
The Blues have factors of their final three video games (2-0-1) whereas the Flyers have factors of their final 4 (2-0-2), giving Philadelphia its longest level streak of the season.
First-year Philadelphia coach Rick Tocchet was dissatisfied with the result Wednesday night time when the Flyers misplaced to the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in extra time. However he was happy with the trouble. The Flyers performed glorious workforce protection in opposition to the explosive Oilers throughout regulation.
“There’s positives,” Tocchet mentioned. “Each sport, it appears it is tight. We have simply bought to study, we have now the puck in extra time and we’re throwing it away. Maintain on to it, make a play. We wish to make performs. And that is their studying course of, enjoying via strain.
“It is onerous to play playoff hockey 82 video games, however we’re in these video games the place it is virtually like a playoff sport, so we wish to sort of actually study from these moments. It is good for our guys.”
After scoring only one purpose in his first 13 video games this season, second-year Flyers winger Matvei Michkov has scored a purpose in three straight video games. Tocchet was happy to see him curl towards the web to realize prime capturing place in opposition to the Oilers.
“He is been engaged on that downhill shot,” Tocchet mentioned. “It was nice placement. And he works on that every single day. Nice purpose.”
Philadelphia winger Travis Konecny has additionally heated up with an eight-game level streak with 4 targets and 6 assists throughout that span.
–Subject Stage Media
