LAS VEGAS 鈥 If you ask, well, anybody, the formula for the Blues鈥 fourth line in two season-opening St. 不良研究所导航网址 wins is not complicated.
鈥淲e try to keep it simple, you know?鈥 fourth-line center Radek Faksa said. 鈥淕et the puck deep, have a good forecheck and bring some energy.鈥
The Blues鈥 fourth line was instrumental in the club鈥檚 success in the opening two games, comeback wins over Seattle (coming back after being down by two) and San Jose (winning after being down three in the third period).
Against the Kraken, Nathan Walker and Alexey Toropchenko mixed it up in front of the benches, a scrum that appeared to change the tides in a game that was 2-0 Seattle at the time. Faksa later led a scrum in the corner before a Blues power play. St. 不良研究所导航网址 responded with three goals in less than two minutes.
Against the Sharks, Walker-Faksa-Toropchenko was on the ice for the first two goals of the third period, allowing the Blues to tie the game with the extra attacker late in the third period before winning in overtime. Faksa鈥檚 goal was the product of Walker鈥檚 pinch down the wall, the club鈥檚 first forecheck goal of the season. Toropchenko picked up the primary assist on Ryan Suter鈥檚 goal later in the period, spotting Suter wide open in the slot, and he used a Faksa screen.
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鈥淭hey saw some tough matchups in Seattle, which I thought they handled really well,鈥 Blues coach Drew Bannister said. 鈥淥bviously, kind of got us going a little bit with the scrum. (Thursday night), offensively, they鈥檙e able to chip in with the two goals to give us a chance to get our goalie out and get six guys on the ice. They didn鈥檛 change their game. They were very direct, and they got into a forecheck. Good things happen.鈥
Entering Friday night鈥檚 game in Vegas 鈥 the Blues were trying to sweep a season-opening road trip of at least three games for the second time in franchise history 鈥 the fourth line has been one of the team鈥檚 most productive units outside of the expected contributors (Jordan Kyrou with four points, Justin Faulk and Robert Thomas with three).
In the 10:31 of 5 on 5 ice time for the line on Thursday night in San Jose, the Blues held a 7-4 edge in shot attempts, a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal and 2-0 in goals scored.
Faulk said the 鈥渢hey play heavy.鈥
鈥淭hey just play that simple game,鈥 Faulk said. 鈥淭hey play in below the goalline and they don鈥檛 really care to do anything too fancy. They keep it simple and they鈥檙e predictable. That鈥檚 two games in a row that they鈥檝e been able to get us going a little bit. In Seattle, it was with their emotion and getting in some scrums and getting some energy going. Tonight, playing hard and getting on the board.鈥
Entering training camp, it was unclear whether that line would be together.
Walker was a bubble forward fighting for a spot, and he鈥檚 made the most of an opportunity afforded to him by Oskar Sundqvist鈥檚 recovery and Brandon Saad鈥檚 paternity leave. Faksa, in training camp, appeared set for a role between Dylan Holloway and Mathieu Joseph, but a late-preseason shuffle put him between Walker and Toropchenko.
Even with the expected returns of Sundqvist and Saad in the near future, the fourth line has made a case to stay together and to stay in the lineup.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e playing great hockey for us,鈥 Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just playing great hockey, it鈥檚 making an impact, blocking shot, obviously scoring, stirring it up, brining energy. When you have an identity line like that that plays the right way, no reason for everyone else to (not) follow guys like that.鈥
Lineup changes
Forward Alexandre Texier remained out of the Blues lineup in Vegas on Friday with an upper-body injury, and Zack Bolduc was still in his spot on a line with Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou.
Defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph entered the lineup for the first time this season, replacing Matthew Kessel on the third pair. With Joseph in the lineup, P.O and Mathieu became the seventh set of brothers to play for the Blues.