Blues Weekly: Hot Start, Buchnevich, Reverse Retro & More

The St. Louis Blues began a three-game road trip last week that ends on Monday against the Winnipeg Jets. They have also continued to find success despite a key injury.

St. Louis Blues Weekly Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou
Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou (The Hockey Writers)

This team has looked great throughout its first three games. Despite playing fewer games than the rest of the league, the Blues have found a way to take care of a business.

Blues Remain NHL’s Only Undefeated Team

I know it’s only three games and other teams have doubled the Blues in games played, but it’s worth noting that they are 3-0-0. Some might argue that their opponents have been less than stellar, but that’s irrelevant in October. The Blues beat the Seattle Kraken in overtime despite being outplayed for most of that game. The Kraken then beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in their next game.

Related: Blues Binnington Gamble Paying Off Early

While the Edmonton Oilers are off to a slow start, they are still hard to shut down. The Blues did so with a 2-0 victory at Rogers Place. They changed their style when needed, playing a much looser game against the Kraken and Columbus Blue Jackets, and tightened up against the Oilers. It helps that goaltender Jordan Binnington is playing at an elite level as well. Through the team’s three games, he has a save percentage (SV%) of .940 and a goals-against average (GAA) of 1.65. He ranks fourth in the NHL in SV% and second in GAA. He’s also one of three goaltenders with a shutout this season, joining old friend Ville Husso and rookie Logan Thompson.

Buchnevich Misses Consecutive Games With an Injury

After a great first game, Pavel Buchnevich missed the next two with a lower-body injury. There hasn’t been a lot said about the injury, but it doesn’t seem to be too serious given that Buchnevich took part in line rushes at practice on Friday, the day before their game versus the Oilers.

Pavel Buchnevich St. Louis Blues
Pavel Buchnevich, St. Louis Blues (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Buchnevich is one of the Blues’ best forwards and might be the most complete player on the roster right now, and only four players on the team have more points than him. He is as valuable as it gets, and his chemistry with Robert Thomas and Vladimir Tarasenko is off the charts.

Based on what has been said by head coach Craig Berube, it’ll be surprising if Buchnevich doesn’t return to action this week. It will also be interesting to see if the Blues decide to use seven defensemen with Calle Rosen as they did against the Oilers. If they don’t, Josh Leivo will likely get another opportunity in the lineup.

Blues Unveil Newest Reverse Retro Jersey

All 32 NHL teams unveiled their Reverse Retro 2.0 jerseys last week. The Blues went with a yellow base for the first time in franchise history. This design was an early prototype that never came to fruition and pays homage to classic eras in hockey history. The Blues took a bold route with their selection.

St. Louis Blues 2022-23 Reverse Retro
St. Louis Blues 2022-23 Reverse Retro (NHL/Adidas)

I’m interested to see how it looks, but I expect they will be unique and fun. This design is better than the Blues’ Reverse Retro 1.0 design – known as the red clown jersey. Here are the dates when the Blues will wear them:

  • Nov. 17 vs. Washington Capitals
  • Nov. 21 vs. Anaheim Ducks
  • Dec. 8 vs. Winnipeg Jets
  • Dec. 11 vs. Colorado Avalanche
  • Dec. 29 vs. Chicago Blackhawks
  • Jan. 10 vs. Calgary Flames
  • Jan. 24 vs. Buffalo Sabres

This has been a tremendous era of jersey designs for the franchise, from the Winter Classic beauties to the 1990s throwback from a couple of seasons ago and more.

Blues’ Week Ahead

  • Monday: at Winnipeg Jets, 7 PM
  • Wednesday: vs. Edmonton Oilers, 7 PM
  • Thursday: at Nashville Predators, 7 PM
  • Saturday: at Montreal Canadiens, 6 PM

The Blues will play their first two divisional games of the season this week. They’ve had mixed results with the Jets recently, but they’ve fared well against the Nashville Predators. It will also be worth noting the adjustments the Oilers make in the rematch on Wednesday. They’ll also make another Canadian stop against the rebuilding Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night – It’s about time the Blues get to play more than two games in a week.