Thursday, Dec. 9 review: versus Detroit Red Wings

The Blues played the Detroit Red Wings for the second time this season on Thursday, Dec. 9. The Blues outmatched their old rivals in the game by a score of 6-2. Watching the Blues was like watching a house of cards in a windstorm. Everything feels like it is moments away from collapsing. They have been severely hindered this season by both injuries and COVID-19. It is impressive that the Blues are playing so well, considering a huge portion of their lineup is currently absent. The Blues are currently without the following players:

Forward: David Perron (upper body injury)

Forward: Robert Thomas (lower body injury)

Forward: Klim Kostin (upper body injury)

Forward: Tyler Bozak (COVID-19 protocol)

Forward: James Neal (upper body injury)

Defenseman: Jake Walman (upper body injury)

Defenseman: Justin Faulk (COVID-19 protocol)

Goaltender: Jordan Binnington (COVID-19 protocol)

Goaltender: Ville Husso (lower body injury)

Keys Takeaways: 

• Hooray for depth: With all the absences in the Blues lineup, it was a miracle that they could even field a team against the Red Wings, let alone beat them. One of the Blue’s strongest assets is their depth and that was on full display against Detroit. The Blues played this game while missing five forwards, two defenseman, two goalies and were still able to win decisively — that is no small feat. Now all the Blues need to do is continue playing well until their key players can return to the lineup.

• The defense is generating offense: One of the strongest assets for the Blues in 2019 that has been lacking recently is the defense’s ability to generate offense. In total, the Blues defenseman posted two goals and five assists on Thursday. Those seven points are the most that have come from the Blues blue line all season.

• Consistency is key: While a convincing win against an up-and-coming Red Wings team is encouraging, this is only one game. With how heavily the Blues lineup can change from night to night, it is crucial for the Note to stay consistent with their play. The past two games have gone well for the Blues, but these results need to be replicated more times before this team can be seen as contenders.

Blues Bits Three-Stars of the Game:

Third Star: Niko Mikkola

The Blues burley, 6-foot-4, Finnish defenseman played one of the best games of his career on Thursday, recording two assists and one shot. Mikkola has begun to get more consistent ice time this season and he is making the most of it. He has always been a physical presence on the ice and now his offensive abilities are beginning to develop as well. 

Second Star: Charlie Lindgren

The Blues fourth-string goalie played surprisingly well in his first start wearing the blue note. Lindgren stopped 29 out of 31 Detroit shots and looked incredibly calm in the crease. If he continues to play like this, he should be able to hold down the fort until Binnington and Husso return

First Star: Nathan Walker

Nathan Walker is most likely the only person people will remember from this game. The Australian-born winger scored a hat-trick in his first game of the season after being called up from the Springfield Thunderbirds one day before the game. Walker was electrifying to watch and it will be interesting to see if he remains in the NHL once the Blues get healthy, or if he will be sent back down to the American Hockey League.