Three Takeaways From Blues’ 5-2 Win Against Rangers

With no work to get his players acclimated to his coaching style in his first game with the St. Louis Blues, Jim Montgomery installed a few tactics at the morning skate Monday and released his players to play.

The Blues, playing for their new coach after he was named to the position on Sunday following the firing of Drew Bannister, responded with one of their most impressive outings of the season, 5-2 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

Zack Bolduc scored his first two goals of the season and first multi-goal game in the NHL; Brayden Schenn had a goal and an assist, Dylan Holloway had two assists and Joel Hofer made 27 saves to end a personal three-game losing streak to help the Blues improve to 10-12-1.

Here are Monday’s three takeaways:

* Monty magic — We could have used any kind of subhead here, but it’s all about a shot-like mentality and no thinking twice about doing it.

The Blues peppered Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers with a season-high 43 shots and they did it by being connected and forechecking and supporting the puck.

Bolduc led the way shooting the puck; Holloway was a buzzsaw out on the ice and the forecheck was spot on with the F3 being important in all aspects.

Jordan Kyrou’s goal to tie the game 1-1 at 11:45 of the first period was evident of the forecheck when Schenn was aggressive in stealing a puck from Jacob Trouba after a soft pass that Schenn was able to forecheck and win behind the net before feeding Kyrou, who opened himself up for a soft spot in the slot:

But players were gaining the zone, and instead of “passing the puck into the net” as general manager Doug Armstrong suggested on Sunday, the Blues were not hesitating once to put pucks at the net to create havoc.

* Net-front presence — It was evident from the drop of the puck. The shot-like mentality had to go hand-in-hand with players driving to get to the net, and at times, all three forwards were getting there.

As evidenced by Bolduc’s first of the game at 4:30 of the second period, Holloway doesn’t give up on a play, puts the puck behind the net and instead of staying o the perimeter, he and Radek Faksa get to the slot and crease area. Faksa is fighting for a loose puck keeping it alive for Bolduc, who cleaned up the rebound:

Bolduc’s second of the game was also classic net-front.

But the Blues had to check and work the walls behind the net, get the puck to the point, and Colton Parayko, who started the forecheck before working it back down low to Bolduc, without hesitation threw a puck through traffic that Bolduc tipped. He collected the loose rebound and sniped it home for a 4-2 lead at 8:25 of the third period:

* Limiting turnovers — The Blues are good when they are able to take care of the puck, but those mistakes, especially the ones in their zone, seem to come back to bite them.

When you can limit the defensive zone turnovers to six for the game, and on the road, that’s saying something.

There are lots of nights where the Blues will have that many, or more, for a period, let alone for a game.

Their d-men were able to retrieve pucks, and move them without disruption.

Even at 4-on-4, they made good, smart decisions with the puck. Scott Perunovich did so here sending Schenn in for what would amount to the game-winning goal:

This started what was a solid third period, one in which hasn’t been good for the Blues. They outscored the Rangers 3-0 Monday after being outscored 17-4 the past nine games in the third.

Hear from coach Montgomery and players after the game: