When Blues forwards walk into their locker room at the St. Louis Mills mall each day, one of their first orders of business is to look at the board and see which line they're slated on for practice.
When they walked in Monday, there was a big change.
The top line of Andy McDonald, David Backes and Brad Boyes, the Blues' only source for offense lately, has been broken up as the club looks for more balance.
The Blues have scored just five goals in their last three games and now rank 24th in the NHL with 2.46 goals a game. They had three goals on a combined 63 shots in back-to-back losses to Dallas last weekend.
So despite a combined 21 points from McDonald, Backes and Boyes in the seven games they played together, there was a different look. McDonald and Boyes remained on the top line, but McDonald moves to center and Alex Steen will join that line at left wing.
"I really like the way our line's played with 'Backs' in the middle and with 'Boysie,'" McDonald said. "We seemed to play well together and it was working.
"(But) it's about winning hockey games. We're struggling to score. The idea is to shuffle things up and generate some more offense."
Blues coach Davis Payne said that he wasn't committed to the line changes for tonight's game in Chicago, but he noted that the switches would give the offense more depth when facing a team with a defensive duo of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.
"We're just taking a look at some different combinations. ? Keith and Seabrook are guys that can keep numbers down and keep offensive chances down," Payne said. "If we need some sort of even distribution from our skill guys, it's something we wanted to have a look."
Boyes responded, "That's a good point. To split it up and hopefully get more depth, that's going to be good. You know those guys (Keith and Seabrook) are going to be playing a lot, but they can't play all the time. So if we can take advantage of that, that's what we want to do."
Besides the perceived matchup benefit, some felt there were factors that could make the new top line as successful as a McDonald-Backes-Boyes group.
"I've played in the middle with (Boyes) before," McDonald said. "I'm excited to get back to that situation. 'Steener' is fast, he's got a great shot ? he's good in a lot of areas. It'll be exciting to play with that line (Tuesday)."
Boyes added that with McDonald at center, "I think it speeds it up. He's a guy that's real quick. Backes was good, but Andy's different. He's smaller and quicker, will bolt through areas. So I think that part of it, we'll get it going. He's a lefthand shot, too, which tends to be easier (for Boyes) to play with."
Meanwhile, Backes moves to the second line, where he will return to right wing. Patrik Berglund will stay in the middle on that line and Vladimir Sobotka has been bumped up to left wing with that group.
"With our lack of production, I figured there was going to be a little shifting around," Backes said. "Whether our line was going to be broken up, or some other changes, I wasn't certain. But to see myself on the wing hopefully produces more energy in the offensive zone and production for myself."
Sobotka admitted being somewhat surprised when he saw the combinations on the board Monday. "But nothing changes for me, just trying my best," he said. "I'm excited to play with 'Bergy' and Backes."
Boyes labeled that line "Big, big and Sobotka. But (Sobotka) actually plays big. That'll be a line that if they get in the offensive zone, and work it down low, they could do some damage."
That's what the Blues are hoping.
"We seem to control the puck well on the outside," McDonald said, "but it's getting that puck to the inside and generating those quality scoring chances in the slot that we need to get better at."
The third line features Brad Winchester, Jay McClement and B.J. Crombeen, while the fourth line had Chris Porter, T.J. Hensick and Cam Janssen. Matt D'Agostini, who has six goals, which at one time led the team, appeared to be the odd man out in Monday's practice.
"Just need a little more consistency (from D'Agostini)," Payne said. "It's not anything we haven't sat down and discussed between himself and the coaches. There are areas in his game on both sides of the puck that have to get back to where they were early. It's making sure that he's aware of that."
When they walked in Monday, there was a big change.
The top line of Andy McDonald, David Backes and Brad Boyes, the Blues' only source for offense lately, has been broken up as the club looks for more balance.
The Blues have scored just five goals in their last three games and now rank 24th in the NHL with 2.46 goals a game. They had three goals on a combined 63 shots in back-to-back losses to Dallas last weekend.
So despite a combined 21 points from McDonald, Backes and Boyes in the seven games they played together, there was a different look. McDonald and Boyes remained on the top line, but McDonald moves to center and Alex Steen will join that line at left wing.
"I really like the way our line's played with 'Backs' in the middle and with 'Boysie,'" McDonald said. "We seemed to play well together and it was working.
"(But) it's about winning hockey games. We're struggling to score. The idea is to shuffle things up and generate some more offense."
Blues coach Davis Payne said that he wasn't committed to the line changes for tonight's game in Chicago, but he noted that the switches would give the offense more depth when facing a team with a defensive duo of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.
"We're just taking a look at some different combinations. ? Keith and Seabrook are guys that can keep numbers down and keep offensive chances down," Payne said. "If we need some sort of even distribution from our skill guys, it's something we wanted to have a look."
Boyes responded, "That's a good point. To split it up and hopefully get more depth, that's going to be good. You know those guys (Keith and Seabrook) are going to be playing a lot, but they can't play all the time. So if we can take advantage of that, that's what we want to do."
Besides the perceived matchup benefit, some felt there were factors that could make the new top line as successful as a McDonald-Backes-Boyes group.
"I've played in the middle with (Boyes) before," McDonald said. "I'm excited to get back to that situation. 'Steener' is fast, he's got a great shot ? he's good in a lot of areas. It'll be exciting to play with that line (Tuesday)."
Boyes added that with McDonald at center, "I think it speeds it up. He's a guy that's real quick. Backes was good, but Andy's different. He's smaller and quicker, will bolt through areas. So I think that part of it, we'll get it going. He's a lefthand shot, too, which tends to be easier (for Boyes) to play with."
Meanwhile, Backes moves to the second line, where he will return to right wing. Patrik Berglund will stay in the middle on that line and Vladimir Sobotka has been bumped up to left wing with that group.
"With our lack of production, I figured there was going to be a little shifting around," Backes said. "Whether our line was going to be broken up, or some other changes, I wasn't certain. But to see myself on the wing hopefully produces more energy in the offensive zone and production for myself."
Sobotka admitted being somewhat surprised when he saw the combinations on the board Monday. "But nothing changes for me, just trying my best," he said. "I'm excited to play with 'Bergy' and Backes."
Boyes labeled that line "Big, big and Sobotka. But (Sobotka) actually plays big. That'll be a line that if they get in the offensive zone, and work it down low, they could do some damage."
That's what the Blues are hoping.
"We seem to control the puck well on the outside," McDonald said, "but it's getting that puck to the inside and generating those quality scoring chances in the slot that we need to get better at."
The third line features Brad Winchester, Jay McClement and B.J. Crombeen, while the fourth line had Chris Porter, T.J. Hensick and Cam Janssen. Matt D'Agostini, who has six goals, which at one time led the team, appeared to be the odd man out in Monday's practice.
"Just need a little more consistency (from D'Agostini)," Payne said. "It's not anything we haven't sat down and discussed between himself and the coaches. There are areas in his game on both sides of the puck that have to get back to where they were early. It's making sure that he's aware of that."
