QUICK HITS
BLUES Connor McMichael and Dillon Dube scored the lone goals for St. Louis in Thursday's loss. McMichael scored his second goal in two games and Dube capitalized shorthanded to net his first NHL goal since Nov. 16, 2023, and his first as a Blue. Tyler Toffoli and Collin Graf scored for San Jose to force overtime, where Darnell Nurse scored his first goal with the Sharks since his offseason trade from the Edmonton Oilers.
Speaking to the media postgame, head coach Jim Montgomery said the Blues played more directly in the first period and executed their process well for the majority of the game. Montgomery emphasized a 'skate them into the ground' mentality when holding a lead, which relies on players taking short shifts and constantly fore- and backchecking.
However, he added that the team's lack of goal scoring is causing frustration among players, making it more difficult to consistently execute the process for a full 60 minutes.
"I thought we were in complete control of the game, and we need to be comfortable winning 2-1, and it's like we want to win 3-1 or 4-1," Montgomery said. "It's mistakes we made that allowed them to score that second goal and then end up in overtime. Anything can happen in 3-on-3 hockey and unfortunately we were on the wrong end of it."
The Blues recorded 26 shots on goal, 12 blocked shots and went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill in the loss. Mason McTavish and Jonatan Berggren both recorded assists on McMichael's goal, and Joel Hofer made 24 saves on 27 shots.
In his locker room interview, Cam Fowler said the team needs to find ways to collectively capitalize on the high-danger opportunities they are creating, while also stressing the need for patience given the team's younger roster and player additions.
"I think if you do a deep dive into some of the games that we've played I think that's where you see a lot of the positives that we're doing," Fowler said. "It's up to some of the guys that have been around a long time to make sure that we instill that in the younger guys that listen. It's going to come for us if we keep doing these things properly and keep playing the way that we want. More goals will start to go in and we'll find ourselves on the better side of some hockey games."
BLUE JACKETS The Columbus Blue Jackets' star players were a large talking point during the offseason. After speculation that Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski would be traded, general manager Don Waddell released a joint statement with the defenseman, confirming that he wants to stay in Columbus. Additionally, in a deal made mere hours before opening night rosters were due, forward Kirill Marchenko was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The blockbuster trade brought 23-year-old forward Matthew Knies to Columbus.
The Marchenko return package also included forward Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae and a conditional second-round pick. The Blue Jackets also acquired forward Valeri Nichushkin from the Colorado Avalanche earlier in the offseason, and added goaltender Cam Talbot and forward Ryan Lomberg as free agents.
In addition to free agent signings and trades, forward Cole Sillinger signed a three-year extension and Adam Fantilli, the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, signed a six-year contract extension with the team. The Blue Jackets' roster departures include former captain Boone Jenner and forward Mason Marchment. Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins and forward Miles Wood were also acquired by the Maple Leafs in the Marchenko trade.
Last season, Columbus finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division with a 40-30-12 record and 92 points. Led by head coach Rick Bowness, the team aims to change their locker room culture and clinch their first Stanley Cup Playoffs berth since 2020. Saturday's game will be the second of a back-to-back set for the Jackets, coming off a 3-2 shootout win at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
