The St. Louis Blues are 2-0-1 through three games under recently hired head coach Jim Montgomery. They have wins on the road over the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils and a home overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The early strides made under the new head coach have already paid dividends in more ways than one.
They’ve clearly improved with a new voice in the room, which shouldn’t surprise anyone considering the pedigree and ability of Montgomery. Let’s get into why they’ve improved and what can be expected throughout the rest of the season.
Blues’ Lineup Looks More Connected Under Montgomery
A lot of this is based on the eye test, but it was especially evident throughout the wins over the Rangers and Devils. Every line combination and defensive pairing has looked more cohesive and comfortable over the past three games. Although the lineup hasn’t changed much, they are playing better in the Montgomery system.
They have a plus-5 goal differential in three games under Montgomery. They’ve averaged 3.3 goals per game in those games, which is above their 2.52 per game for the season. There is no denying that the coaching change bump has occurred in the first three games. I have my doubts about whether this lineup can sustain it, but it’s been fun to watch this version of them so far.
Montgomery appears to have unlocked Dylan Holloway and a few other players who were struggling. Holloway has three goals and two assists for five points over the past three games. Pavel Buchnevich has also scored in every game since the coaching change and Zachary Bolduc had a two-goal performance against the Rangers. The forward group has established some consistency over the past three games. Overall, the lineup has been better in three games since the coaching change.
Blues’ Power Play Will Eventually Get Results
Montgomery helped run the Blues’ power play in 2021-22 before he departed to become the Boston Bruins head coach. They ranked second in the league that season and haven’t been anywhere near that level since. Currently, their power play ranks 27th at 15.8 percent and it’s 1-for-9 in the past three games. However, there’s reason to believe that it will get better throughout the rest of the season.
The movement and creativity on the power play that I’ve seen since the change has been different. Using the skills of Robert Thomas, Justin Faulk, Jordan Kyrou, Holloway, Philip Broberg, and others on the power play to their advantage should be a top goal for this staff. That alone will produce better results overall. I’d be very surprised if the Blues don’t have a significantly better power play by the end of the season.
Blues Could Sneak Into Playoffs
The Blues sneaking into the playoffs isn’t likely, but it’s far more possible now than it was under Drew Bannister. They have a coach who has proven an ability to get the most out of his teams. The 2022-23 Bruins were quite good on paper, but not 135 points good. Montgomery got the most out of them and I expect him to get the most out of this Blues team.
Related: Blues New Head Coach Jim Montgomery Can Be the Solution to Team’s Problems
The Western Conference is tough to navigate when it comes to the playoff bubble, but the Blues should just focus on winning games and stacking up points. The upcoming schedule isn’t overly favorable, so it’s going to be a great challenge. Either way, I’m comfortable placing my trust in Montgomery to turn this team and franchise around.
