Observations From Blues' 5-3 Preseason Loss Vs. Stars

ST. LOUIS – Dylan Holloway scored twice, but the St. Louis Blues are now winless in four preseason games after a 5-3 loss against the Dallas Stars at Enterprise Center on Tuesday.

Philip Broberg also scored, and Jordan Kyrou assisted on both Holloway goals in his preseason debut; Pius Suter also made his Blues debut and had an assist, and Joel Hofer was the first Blues goalie to play an entire preseason game; he made 25 saves.

The Blues dropped to 0-3-1 and will host the Ottawa Senators on Thursday in their final home preseason game before finishing against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

Here are some observations of the game:

* Holloway is ready for Oct. 9 – Cut to the chase. Holloway is ready for Oct. 9 when the Blues open the regular season against the Minnesota Wild.

When this guy told me he wants to be one of the best players in the league, there was a reason why.

Not only did Holloway scored twice on Tuesday, but just watching the game, his attention to detail right now seems to be pristine. And there’s a reason, according to Blues coach Jim Montgomery.

“What you love about him is his second- and third-effort on pucks,” Montgomery said. “I've said it a couple times last year, this is a second- & third-effort league and he is relentless on pucks. That's why he comes up with pucks. That's why everyone wants to play with him. If I was to ask anyone on our team, ‘Who do you want on your line?’ He’s going to be one of the first names that comes up because you know you’re going to get the puck, you know you’re going to get offensive opportunities because he’s relentless, and I think he brings us real good energy and a real good role model as to how you need to play. We need more of that permeating throughout our lineup in training camp right now.”

Holloway’s stick always seemed to be in the right place, he’s going to get more opportunity on the penalty kill this year, his hustle and jump on pucks is second to none, and he never gives up on a play. That’s what he’s shown previously, and he did so again in a meaningless preseason game playing it like he still has to win a job.

“He’s just in tremendous shape, he can handle a lot of ice,” Montgomery said. “Being able to get him PK, we’ll be able to get him up into the 18, 19 minutes a night, which the way he’s continuing to develop, that’s the kind of ice time he’s demanding right now with his play.”

* Suter looked solid between Holloway, Kyrou – It’s the first time this preseason since the coaching staff has put Suter between those two wingers that they’ve played in a game and each finished a plus-1.

Suter (16:24) led the ice time of the trio, with Kyrou (16:07) and Holloway (15:59) following.

Holloway led the Blues with six of their 24 shots on goal on nine attempts and scored two beauties.

His first cut the Stars’ lead to 2-1 at 12:56 of the first:

His second made it a one-goal game at 4-3 off a beautiful give-and-go with Kyrou at 13:07 of the third period:

But the fact that playing against a loaded Dallas lineup, one of the Blues’ top lines going into the season wasn’t penetrated defensively. They looked to be on the same page quite often.

“I thought it was pretty good,” Montgomery said of the line. “Obviously they scored the two goals, but besides the two goals, I didn't think they gave up all that much and I thought they continued to support each other really well.”

* Kaskimaki is a puck hound – One under-the-radar forward continues to be 2022 third-round pick, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, who was a plus-1 in 15:04 in the game on Tuesday.

I can best describe Kaskimaki as a puck hound, someone who also doesn’t give up on a play.

“I’m trying to just show my compete and my skills in the O-zone and the 200-foot game,” Kaskimaki said. “If you compare (training camp) it to last year, it feels like you have a little more time there on the ice.”

Kaskimaki skated with Dalibor Dvorsky and Alexey Toropchenko on Tuesday.

“His awareness without the puck primarily,” Montgomery said regarding Kaskimaki’s play. “He’s really shown that his defensive side of the game is really good. He’s almost too safe. I understand. He doesn’t want to give up much. I imagine he’s been well-coached in the past.

“He seems to be a puck hound on top of pucks, and he’s always on the right side, so he always seems to be in a good position to handle pucks.”

* Skinner is making a case for himself – Montgomery mentioned multiple times how he’s noticed defenseman Hunter Skinner’s game, and the fourth-round pick in 2019 by the New York Rangers who was acquired in the Feb. 9, 2023 trade that sent Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola to the Rangers is making things very interesting for that seventh defensive position.

“I feel a lot better,” Skinner said. “Trying to prove that I can play and put my best foot forward this year, hoping for an opportunity. Just keeping my head down, just keep working, grinding through it hoping for an opportunity.

More so just focusing on my game. I think worrying about playing physical, playing my game, getting shots through, playing hard.”

Skinner played 18:28 and had two shots on goal with four hits despite being a minus-2 when both goals against went in off partner Leo Loof’s skates.

“I like how assertive he is,” Montgomery said. ‘I think he’s had a good training camp. He’s assertive physically, he’s assertive taking away time and space. He’s not afraid to hold onto pucks and make a play, so that confidence is nice to see in a young defenseman.”

Should Matthew Kessel be looking over his shoulder? I would.

* Broberg – After what Montgomery said he didn’t think Broberg had his best first period, the top-pair defenseman in this game, playing with Justin Faulk, asserted himself quite nicely and scored a beauty of a goal. In the second at 15:24 to tie the game 2-2.

It came after Dvorsky won a face-off, Broberg took the puck off the left wall, gave Casey DeSmith a small pump fake like he was coming with it to the front of the net just enough to freeze the Stars goalie long enough to pull off a wraparound goal:

Broberg was a plus-1 in 21:03 of ice time.

“I think he’s really starting to understand how gifted he is as an athletic hockey player,” Montgomery said. ‘What I really liked is I didn’t think ‘Broby’ had the best first period, but he responded within the game, found his game and became dominant in the second period and I thought he was good in the third. It’s good because there was a lot of times last year, and I thought he started to do that at the end of the season last year, but when he would kind of have an off period, he’d get down on himself, and I could see him talk to himself tonight. He talked himself into being a good player tonight. That’s a real good sign of a young pro becoming a better pro.”

* Lucic verdict still out there – It was the second preseason game for Milan Lucic, who is in training camp on a professional tryout.

The 37-year-old tied with Loof and Mathieu Joseph for a game-high five hits in 13:58, his second preseason game after playing Sept. 21 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“Just personally, feeling better overall,” Lucic said. “I felt like I did some good things, especially on the forecheck. Made some better plays coming out of the D-zone, but I still feel like I’ve got another gear. Good thing is two more preseason games here to play. Every day just get a little bit better.

“Having a good practice yesterday just helped me with my confidence. Even more so getting that first game out of the way. I almost felt like a rookie again, the jitters and being nervous and everything like I was that first game in Columbus. I felt little bit more comfortable, but I have more and I’m going to get a chance to prove that. That’s on me.”

Lucic strained his groin a week ago Tuesday and missed the next three practice days and did not play last Saturday against the Blackhawks but was back on the practice ice Monday. He skated on a line with Joseph and Alexandre Texier.

“I thought he skated much better,” Montgomery said. “I thought he was around the puck, I thought he caused disruptive plays. Next couple games with the opportunity, he’s going to be able to make more. We’ve got to see more with the puck, but we know he’s capable of it. It was good to see him have a good game.”

* See ya, Leo – It was a tough game for Loof, the Blues’ 2020 third-round pick. He did play a physical game, but his skating wasn’t always there, and his positioning in front of his net left a little to be desired.

The Stars scored two goals that caromed in off Loof’s skates, including one by former Blue Radek Faksa late in the second period.

Loof played 18:06 and had a shot on goal to go with a team-high tying five hits but his days are likely numbered and will be heading back to Springfield in short order.

* Texier not helping his cause – For someone playing for his job, it just hasn’t been there for Texier, who played 15:22 and had two giveaways in the game.

The Blues have tried the 2017 second-round pick an opportunity at wing and at center but he was just too non-existent in the game, and defensively, it has to be there if the offensive game isn’t working, and I didn’t think he was sound without the puck either.

The Blues are going to have to make a decision soon enough, and there are younger forwards (Kaskimaki, Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg) and Lucic who would love to grab one of those final jobs.

* Dvorsky needed that "it" game – Training camp has been pretty solid for Dvorsky, the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, but for him to really knock down the door to a job out of training camp, I thought he needed to back up his solid performance from Saturday with another one tonight.

Dvorsky did have an assist on the Broberg goal when he won the face-off, but he only won four of 12 and was a minus-1 in 15:58. Dvorsky also had three missed shots on goal, and for a player who predicates himself to be dangerous offensively, it just wasn't there on Tuesday against a strong Dallas side.

I think the center will get at least another look in a preseason game before a decision is made, but Tuesday could have really made the decision difficult with backed up with another solid performance.

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