Jake Neighbours made one declaration on Sunday night for the St. Louis Blues after their defeated the Anaheim Ducks, 4-2, for their fourth straight win:
"I don't think I'm going to change it," Neighbours said of his net front presence. "It's been working well for me. No plans to change it up any time soon."
Blues player of the game vs. Ducks: Jake Neighbours (1:44)
That's music to the Blues' ears, who have finally found their true net front presence player, arguably since David Backes was setting up shop there for 10 years from 2006-16.
Neighbours would affect goals scored by Robert Thomas twice and one of his own just by being that pest in the goalie's eyes. On this night, it was Lukas Dostal.
Neighbours would be the one to take Dostal's eyes away on Thomas' goal 1:53 intothe third period to give the Blues (36-29-3) a 2-1 lead, then redirect Brayden Schenn's wrist shot from the left circle at 6:12 to make it 4-1, and just by being at the net front, Thomas was credited with a goal at 9:33 when his shot-pass deflected off the stick of Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe for a 4-1 lead.
Without Neighbours there, Thomas doesn't have that option.
"I think Jake did an incredible job in front of the net and was a big factor in all three of those goals," Thomas said. "... He makes a living around the net. He's hard down there, he's open, he screens. He does a lot of little things that makes all the world. I think he deserves a lot of credit for the power play's success tonight."
It plays right into Neighbours' game when the Blues have that shooter's mentality; he can park himself at the net front and crease havoc, corral loose pucks and affect shots.
"I just thought we were being more direct, started putting stuff towards the net and that creates chaos and that's when things open up for you," Neighbours said. "
We had a good game plan coming in and just weren't executing. I thought in the third, we executed."
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