3 Stars Of The Month

I was hesitant to put Parayko as the 1st Star due to him being given the honor just last month but to do so would be adding myself to the long list of people underrating Colton's incredibly season so far. What he has done this year is worthy of serious Norris discussion but as expected he is getting none. Parayko ranks 4th among all defensemen in goals scored with 15, ranks 6th in the league in blocked shots, and has the least PIM among any of the top 30 defensemen pt leaders with just 8 on the season.

He has kicked his game into yet another gear following the 4 Nations Face-Off. As Parayko continues to push his career high scoring season even higher, our offense and defense have begun to depend on him more and more. There is no one on this team as important as Colton, and without him we would be looking at winning the draft right now instead of possibly sneaking into the playoffs.

Robert Thomas had an uncharacteristic slump in January, and it's no coincidence that the team's worst stretch of the season was during Thomas's worst stretch. It's clear watching any Blues game that most of the offense for this team flows through Robert Thomas and his incredible vision and passing ability. He genuinely makes every other teammate on the ice better and that's why he's so important to the Blues.

It's clear that this team goes as Robert Thomas goes. He is having his best month of the year and the Blues have never looked better. Following his January slump, he has put together a current 10 game assist streak in February that is climbing the ranks for longest in Blues history. Robert's ability to score is eclipsed only by his ability to help others score and right now he is firing at all cylinders. If the Blues want to continue to push their way into the playoffs, they will need this version of Robert Thomas for the remainder of the season. If they can get that, the sky is the limit for this team.

Zach Bolduc has clearly had high potential from the moment he joined the team late last season. However, until recently he hadn't made that production jump that we know he is capable of. This could be due to a lot of things, Bannister not giving him a chance, frequently changing lines, etc. But one thing is certain - Bolduc is a seriously skilled offensive threat and this team depends on him to produce and spark scoring when the other scorers aren't.

Something any Blues fan is very familiar with is the frustrating moments when the players pass up chances to score to try to set up a teammate for a better shot and the play ends up being broken up without a SOG. With Zach Bolduc, that's not something you have to worry about. He is constantly in score first mode, and that level of offensive aggression and willingness to put the puck to the net ends up more often than not with either him scoring or creating another quality chance in front of the net. Bolduc is one of many extremely exciting young players for this team, and I cannot wait to see how he develops in the coming seasons.

Ah Colt55, where would we be without you? Parayko has followed up one of his best years last season with an even more incredible year this campaign. He has been the one consistent pillar for the Blues on defense, and set his career record for goals in a season this month. Colton has shown he can be a real generator on offense; his willingness to shoot and even drive to the net with the puck has opened up so many opportunities for everyone around him.

He is finally getting recognized for his ability, being chosen for Team Canada in the Four Nations Face-Off this February. Additionally, it has been reported that the Blues' GM Doug Armstrong has had to field a huge amount of calls from other teams inquiring about Parayko's availability. thankfully, he has shut these discussions down quickly- Parayko isn't going anywhere any time soon. As the team starts to look ahead to next season and beyond, Colton Parayko is always a player you can count on in the defensive end and there is no one I trust more with the puck than 55. It's impossible to imagine a Blues team without him, and I can't wait to see how he performs next season.

Halfway through the season, Brayden Schenn had found himself in a difficult spot. Due to the Blues' lack of depth at center, he was having to be the team's 2C, something that was admittedly asking a lot out of the veteran. His scoring had disappeared, his defense was inconsistent, and he rarely found himself on the same page as his teammates on the ice. A large portion of fans were calling for him to be traded, demoted, or waived as he seemed to anchor the team any time he was on ice.

That all changed when Jim Montgomery created the line of Holloway-Schenn-Kyrou. This combination of players has completely revitalized the Captain, along with boosting the other two already high offensive producers. This line just works- getting to watch them work together during a game is just flat out fun as their chemistry is off the charts. Schenn has also improved his shooting during this time, more than doubling his season total in goals since the line's creation. They have been so consistently excellent that Monty has promoted them to the first line, giving them as much play time as possible to go to work. If Schenn can keep this up, this line could power us back into playoff contention, but only time will tell if they have the longevity to do so.

When veteran defenseman Cam Fowler was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks on December 14th, many in the fanbase rolled their eyes. Despite getting him for next to nothing, he had the worst +/- of any player in the NHL and this seemed like yet another aging defenseman who Doug Armstrong inexplicably wanted on the team. Thankfully, we could not have been more wrong.

Cam Fowler may go down as the best surprise of the season, as he has not only been an incredible shutdown defenseman who is smart with the puck and makes clean exit passes, but he has had a huge level of production on offense. In 17 games as a Duck this year, Fowler notched 4 assists and 0 goals, for a total of 4 pts, 6PIM, and a +/- of -7. In his 21 games in the Blue Note, Cam Fowler has tallied 8 assists and 5 goals for 13 total pts, only 4 PIM, and a +/- of +4. He has been exactly what we needed to slot in with Parayko for our 1D pairing, and we have seemingly been what he needed to put up some of the best numbers of his career. One of my favorite moments of the season was Fowler scoring not one but two goals in the Winter Classic, which also happened to be his 1000th game of his career. Cam's future with the team beyond this season is obviously questionable, but I for one am going to try to enjoy every second of his Blues experience.