Blues still trying to find their identity

ST. LOUIS - After a 5-4 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday - the Blues' sixth straight victory on home ice - Blues Head Coach Ken Hitchcock said his team was still searching for its identity.
"We're winning hockey games, but we don't have an identity yet. We're winning hockey games on spirit," Hitchcock said. "I'm not sure you can call spirit an identity, but we've got great spirit going right now.

"We're going to have to play a lot better than this, though," Hitchcock added. "A lot better. I think the players know that, too. Two points are two points and we don't want to take away from that, but I think there's a time to ride and I think we're going to be like everybody else, there's going to be concerns all year. I think it's the first team to put out detailed definition that's going to end up emerging from the Central Division."
So when the Blues meet the Winnipeg Jets tonight at Scottrade Center (6 p.m., FSMW, KMOX), they'll be searching to build that identity and for points in their 12th consecutive home game. Who knows what that identity will be, but they know it's not what they've seen lately: jumping out to big leads in games and slowly letting the opposition crawl back in for a late-game scare.

"I think it's starting to come around," Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. "We still have some lapses, obviously, but we're starting to do it (right) more consistently for a longer period of time. That's why we're starting to get a little more success."
"I'm seeing us have the identity until the score gets comfortable," Hitchcock said. "And then we revert back. We're seeing the start of it, we just have to stay on task for longer periods of time."

NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP

Over a quarter of the way though his second regular season, Blues defenseman Colton Parayko hasn't seen any signs of a sophomore slump.
In fact, he's developed into one of the Blues' more consistent defenders.
"He knows that he's one of the best on our team, and he's one of the best up-and-coming plyaers in the League now, so he has that confidence about him," Blues goalie Jake Allen said. "Last year he was sort of feeling his way through, and he had great success doing that. You can only imagine with some confidence behind that what he can do. Everyone knows he's got the big booming shot, but he's doing more than that for us. He's playing more (penalty kill) minutes, he's playing better 5-on-5 minutes. He's been great for us."
"Things are not going to be perfect all the time. It's going to break down and we're going to make mistakes, but that's when a guy like (Colton) can grab the puck and settle things down," added defenseman Carl Gunnarsson. "And that's just the defensive side. Offensively, we've all seen the big shot and the stride he's got. He can make plays."
Right now, Parayko is on a career-best five-game assist streak (six assists), which shares the longest active streak in the NHL (tied with Minnesota's Jason Zucker). He ranks fourth among all defensemen with 13 assists this season.

BLUE NOTES

• With three assists Thursday vs. Tampa Bay, Alexander Steen tied Keith Tkachuk for 14th on the Blues' all-time franchise list in assists.
• The Blues have earned points in 14 of 15 meetings with Winnipeg since the Jets returned to the NHL (11-1-3)
• Tonight will mark Kyle Brodziak's 100th game as a Blue
• Limited edition Holiday-themed autograph pucks will be available outside Section 114 at tonight's game. Pucks are $40 and proceeds benefit Blues for Kids.