Blues’ Standouts of the Week: Hofer, Neighbours, and Suter

However, Suter’s most significant contribution came on the penalty kill on Saturday. The Blues were on the penalty kill seven times, including three times in just the first period. However, the penalty-kill unit held firm, killing off all but one Ottawa Senators‘ power play. Suter played a significant role in that. Of the roughly 16 minutes the Blues spent on the penalty kill, Suter was on the ice for 6:10. He had cleared the puck multiple times, helping the Blues preserve their win.

Furthermore, Suter led all Blues’ forwards in ice time and blocked shots.

Standout #2- Jake Neighbours

Jake Neighbours recorded three points this past week, scoring two goals and adding an assist. For the 23-year-old, it was his first two goals since returning from injury.

What made Neighbours stand out was his performance on Saturday. The game started poorly for the forward, who went to the penalty box twice, with both penalties coming within minutes of each other. Neighbours managed to rebound strongly. He scored the first goal of the game in the second period, knocking in a rebound during a net-front scramble. He then extended the lead to two goals 12 seconds into the third period, tipping in a Pavel Buchnevich pass.

Standout #1- Joel Hofer

Joel Hofer has appeared on this list quite a few times this season. This time may have been his most impressive and fun to watch.

Hofer played in two games this week. His first was in relief of Jordan Binnington on Monday. He stopped 19 of 20 shots to allow the Blues to win, although they ultimately did not. His next game would be on Saturday, when he made the start in Ottawa. He had to stand on his head in the first period, making 15 saves and helping the Blues kill three penalties. He ended the night stopping 41 of 42 shots, earning his fourth win of the season and helping the team earn its tenth win. Head coach Jim Montgomery praised his goaltender after the game.

“Can’t say enough about him. He was fantastic. There were screen shots that, from the bench, we were like, ‘He doesn’t see it,’ and man, he’d just come over with the shoulder. He was seeing the puck at a level that was unbelievable.”

However, Hofer did more than stop the puck. First off, he nearly scored a goal when he fired a shot from behind his net after the Senators pulled their goalie. The puck just missed the net. Later, after making a save during a net-front scramble, some pushing and shoving began in front of the net. When two Senators began double-teaming Philip Broberg, Hofer immediately jumped into the fray to defend his teammate.

To sum it up, Hofer made 60 saves last week, nearly scored a goal, and engaged in some fisticuffs. Is Hofer becoming the modern-day Patrick Roy?

The Week Ahead

The Blues will play four games this week. The first game was Sunday night, in which the Blues defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 4-2.

Including Sunday’s game, two games will be on the road, and two will be at home. The week’s slate will end with back-to-back games with two Central Division rivals, including the Chicago Blackhawks.