The soon to be Presidents Trophy winning Winnipeg Jets welcomed the league's current form team, the St Louis Blues for a heavily anticipated end of season bout, but it was Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets who ended St Louis’ thrilling 12 game winning streak. Despite starting the streak over, and the jubilation and thrill reaching its end, the Blues are arguably still the current most in form team in the NHL, and here are three reasons behind their recent success.
Hiring Jim Montgomery
Probably the most shocking news towards the first half of the NHL season is when the Boston Bruins fired elite head coach Jim Montgomery, a decision which shook the NHL as a whole, but put teams on high alert as one of the best coaches in the game was on the market. The buzz around Montgomery’s free agent status woke a number of teams, but it was St Louis’ hasty management who took the tough decision to fire head coach Drew Bannister, picking up the former Jack Adams winner Montgomery over five days after he was fired.
The choice to fire Drew Bannister so hastily, instantly replacing him wasn't taken lightly by NHL fans, and opinions were divided over their treatment towards Bannister, but the decision to sign a coach with the credentials Montgomery has required some quick and ruthless movement.
Montgomery, who was assistant coach behind legendary Blues coach Craig Berube from 2020-2022, was reintroduced to St Louis on a five year contract, and planned to apply his elite coaching knowledge and philosophies to the team to drive them towards the playoffs in a tricky western conference wildcard battle. But with three games to go, and coming off of an amazing franchise record 12 game winning streak, the Blues and Montgomery have effectively stamped their ticket into the Stanley Cup playoffs, and with a bit of luck, could even escape the wildcard. But none of this would have been possible without Montgomery.
His elite coaching knowledge, styles of play on both the offense and defense, with his no giving up attitude has driven the Blues not only as individuals to be better, but as a team to work well to compliment each other as a whole. Montgomery is vital to the Blues success, and recent Stanley Cup successes may help him drive the Blues to a couple of good wins. Not only have the stats and logistics improved under Montgomery, but the culture and attitude of the team has made a complete u-turn.
Offer Sheeting Broberg And Holloway
One of the biggest moves in the NHL over the offseason had to be Doug Armstrong's massive offer sheet punt to the Oilers restricted free agents Phillip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, utilising a system not many ever put in practice.
The offer sheet system can be seen as one of the best mechanisms for trading for elite players for a lesser price, something extremely useful, but often frowned upon in the NHL. But Blues gm Doug Armstrong took no sympathy in his decision to offer sheet elite defenseman Phillip Broberg for $4.5 million AAV, and centre Dylan Holloway for $2.2 million AAV, putting extreme pressure on Oilers gm Stan Bowman to get the deals matched, a pretty unsolvable problem for Edmonton. After deciding not to match St Louis’ offer, and speaking out about his frustrations over the offer sheet system and the unneeded pressure it brings, Broberg and Holloway headed to St Louis, a move Doug Armstrong and Blues fans couldn't have hoped to have worked out any better.
As a part of the offer sheet system the Blues had to give up a third and a second round pick this year, but in hindsight, the deals have worked out to be arguably one of the best deals of the 2024/25 season, and have impacted them so much more than they had of thought. Broberg who suffered an injury early in the season currently has 29 points on the season, but is looking to be the Blues next elite defenseman, with amazing leadership and on ice qualities at only 23 years old. And Holloway, who is currently nursing an injury, has had a career year, putting up 63 points in 77 games, showing his first round abilities in his new home of St lLouis.
Holloway and Broberg have fully embraced their new roles in St Louis, and have managed to put their skills and abilities on show much more than they could under the limelight in Edmonton. Had the Blues go on to have a good playoff run or not, Broberg and Holloway are a breath of fresh air, and an exciting duo for the Blue going forward, a pair of deals exceptionally worked out by Armstrong, a ballsy move which has changed the Blues future for the better.
Post Four Nations Jordan Binnington
The four nations faceoff over the All-Star break was possibly one of the best things for 31 year old former Stanley Cup winning goaltender Jordan Binnington as his form and time in the crease has been through the roof following the best on best tournament. Binnington who started every game for winners Canada in the tournament faced a lot of criticism over his ability to play in such an elite tournament, but his tournament final performance outlined how good he can really be, and how valuable he can be in the playoffs.
Binnington showed up when it mattered for Canada, and can definitely do the same for St Louis, but after the jubilating four nations win for him, his morale and confidence has skyrocketed. With only two losses in his last 12 games since the four nations tournament, and a save percentage which has consistently been floating around the .900 range, Binnington seems to be kicking into gear at the right time, and has been a major reason for the Blues recent success,
The Canadian stopper has shown up for the Blues when it mattered the most during the Stanley Cup finals in 2019, and with their playoff berth in sight, he will look to do it again. Being the dominant mentality monster he is in between the pips, the Blues are lucky to have such a unique and reliable tender to keep their success alive through the post season.
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