MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — The St. Louis Blues had just stepped onto the ice for what would normally be a routine Friday practice at the end of November.
Routine as in a solid 30-45 minute practice, get off the ice and call it a day.
But this was no ordinary practice. This was Jim Montgomery’s first practice as Blues head coach at home and second full practice since being hired Nov. 24.
Instead of having a shorter, sharp and brisk practice, it was longer, players then head off to watch video while facility staff flood and sweep the ice, then players return and work over for another 15-20 minutes what they just went through on video.
It’s probably something these players have ever done before.
“Two training camps,” Blues captain Brayden Schenn asked, when asked himself if he’s ever done anything like that before. “It was great.
“You know what, it’s just little details that we need to work on. I don’t think it was a hard practice, but he’s not trying to go out there and bag us and make us tired. I think he’s just working on details that we need to do and clean up some things. Guys have no problem with it. They respect it. That’s just us getting better day by day. We have a lot of work to do to climb back in this, but we’ve got a good feeling in the room right now.”
These are all part of the things that Montgomery, who was fired by the Boston Bruins Nov. 19 and hired by the Blues five days later, wants to alter: details, energy, pace, an environment that is fun to be around and teaching.
“I just think it’s the way ‘Monty’ shows up to the rink every day and the energy he wants us to have, he demands us to have that kind of energy and to have pace with our drills,” Blues forward Jake Neighbours said. “He believes the rink is a place where you go to have fun and do your job, obviously execute and do things right but have fun doing it. I think that’s helped us over the last little bit.
“Guys are just coming to the rink with a different mindset. Obviously a new coach just brings that in itself naturally, but I think just what he’s been preaching has really got guys excited to come to the rink today again.”
And that’s what the coach wants and likes to hear. He’s going to be detail-oriented whether they like it or not, and they certainly do seem to be receptive to it.
“I’m glad that they’re saying that,” Montgomery said. “The one thing I’ve noticed is how hungry they are. In the video sessions and then getting out on practice and then you’re seeing the energy carry over into games.
“My beliefs and process of how you have success is not going to change from team to team. Once you realize the quality of your team, the personalities of your team and what their strengths are, then you make tweaks to how you play structurally.
“That’s who I am. You’ve got to be who you are. The fact that they’re feeling that means I’m in the right place.”
So what does a Montgomery practice look like?
“Just up-tempo, detailed,” Schenn said. “Everyone on the same page. If he doesn’t like something, he blows it over and make sure it’s done right. That’s what you expect going into a practice now. Guys are a little bit more sharper.”
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If the players weren’t on top of he details before, they will be now.
“Details is huge with him, every little detail in every part of the game is very important to him,” Neighbours said. “I just think the teaching. He’s constantly teaching, whether it’s on the bench, during practice and video. He’s always teaching little things that people may not notice but it makes a big impact for the success in a hockey game. He’s done a good job of dialing us in on the little things and just continue to teach us and teach everybody.”
The Blues (11-12-2), who embark on a lengthy nine-day, four-game trip through Canada beginning Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets (18-7-0), have taken five of six points (2-0-1) since Montgomery took over, scoring 10 goals (3.33), which is up from the 2.36 they were averaging prior to Drew Bannister being fired.
They seem to be generating much more these past three games while also allowing a league-low 1.67 goals per game since Montgomery took over, also with the only perfect penalty kill in that span (8-for-8).
Quite the contrast since Pavel Buchnevich voiced his displeasure with the lack of working on offense in what turned out to be Bannister’s final game:
“There’s little tweaks defensively and through the neutral zone that kind of allow us to play offense more,” Neighbours said. “Little things that are going to create turnovers so we can transition and things are kind of set up so that when that turnover does happen, we can get going quick. It’s kind of making all three zones connected when we don’t have the puck so that when we do get it back, we’re in positions to go and attack, create and make plays.”
The players seem to be processing the balance well. There’s a more positive and upbeat attitude in the locker room now, guys are smiling, joking and willing to put in more while getting the newer systems down.
“As a player for sure, our mentality’s changed in the locker room,” Schenn said. “Just in general, the energy’s better. The details are better in the hockey game. As far as fans, they embrace what kind of hockey team we’re going to be. They embrace the coach and everyone gets behind that too.
“I think ‘Monty’ comes right in and has a presence, had a good conversation with me. I’ve known him from the past and I have the utmost respect for him. It’s an easy transition for me to work with a guy like that and obviously our relationship’s going to grow as the years go on here.
“Energy’s better, attitudes are better. Guys enjoy coming to the rink and playing hockey again and practicing, smiling, laughing, having fun. Essentially working hard together.”
“It does feel that way,” Neighbours added. “The team’s enjoyed coming to the rink and we’ve had fun doing it. Still a little bit behind the Eight-ball so we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
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Danny Wild-Imagn Images
And that’s why the team needs to stay guarded and just keep plodding along a game at a time.
“You want to keep the same feeling though, that excitement of coming to the rink and being excited to be around your teammates and play for each other,” Neighbours said. “I think keeping that feeling is important but not getting too far ahead of ourselves. We’ve still got to go game by game here. We’re in a very tough division, very tough conference. It’s going to take a lot of wins to climb our way back into it.”
