Filed under: Blues, NHL Coaching, NHL Discipline
NEW YORK -- The St. Louis Blues came into Madison Square Garden on Sunday night and shut out the New York Rangers for the first time in their 42-year history. Their 2-0 victory also proved why they are being taken seriously again in the Western Conference.
So no one can blame Blues head coach Davis Payne and defensive assistant Brad Shaw for being cautious in the early-season summary, but proud of their players for losing just one game in regulation so far.
"Every guy is pushing," said Payne, in his first full season with the team. "We have a strong team commitment. These guys are coming to the rink every day working hard and dedicated to what we're trying to instill."
After the game, Shaw was asked for a breakdown of what's working for the 9-1-2 Blues.
"Davis is preaching a skating style, and it's a system ideally suited to our players' talents," said Shaw, who coaches the defensemen and the Blues' penalty killing units that gave the Rangers next to nothing during a five-minute power play in the third period on Sunday. "Davis is not asking our guys to play a lot one-on-one. We always have support when we're on our game."
That has been most of the time this season, as the Blues' grand total of just 17 goals allowed in twelve games attests.
The Blues may not have a brand-name superstar on their roster, but what they do have is just one loss in regulation through the first 12 games of the season. Showing they have depth and resilience, St. Louis defeated New York with goalie Jaroslav Halak and his .944 save percentage on the bench and David Perron, one of its top scorers, sidelined with concussion-like symptoms after a high hit by San Jose center Joe Thornton.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/07/team-defense-goaltending-work-ethic-add-up-for-high-flying-blu/
No comments:
Post a Comment