Blues’ 3 Up, 3 Down: Hofer, Vrana, Neighbours, Power Play & More

As they continue their season, it’s time for a Blues 3 Up, 3 Down article to examine six topics within the current landscape of the team. This series will come out once per week on Wednesday or Thursday instead of Blues Weekly.

Plus One: Hofer Bounces Back Against Ducks

Blues backup goaltender Joel Hofer has good overall numbers this season, but he struggled mightily in his start against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, Nov. 16. It didn’t help him that the Sharks were skating all over the Blues in front of him, but he allowed a couple of weak goals. He was pulled after allowing four goals on 21 shots by the early part of the second period.

He bounced back on Sunday, Nov. 19 against the Anaheim Ducks with a win and 30 saves on 31 shots. He’s been a quality replacement for Thomas Greiss from last season. He has a record of 4-2-0 with a save percentage (SV%) of .914 and goals against average (GAA) of 2.79. He’s allowed one goal or less in three of his last five starts, including a shutout against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 26. I’ve been impressed with Hofer’s ability to bounce back and stay composed in the face of pressure.

Minus One: Vrana Healthy Scratched Again

The relationship between the Blues coaching staff and forward Jakub Vrana seems to be trending in the wrong direction again as he is projected to be a healthy scratch for the game against the Arizona Coyotes. He’s struggled to find his footing since being traded by the Washington Capitals in the 2020-21 season. He has been a quality offensive producer in the majority of his games played throughout his career, but it’s been a struggle this season. The Blues clearly want more from him in the defensive part of the game, but I think it’s somewhat unfair to try and take away from his above-average offensive skill.

This is the second time this season that Vrana has been healthy scratched by head coach Craig Berube. I think it’s safe to say that this is trending in the wrong direction and he could be on his way out sooner rather than later if this keeps up. Although he only has six points in 15 games this season, he is a plus-3 and has a really good shot. The Blues’ inability to create quality offensive chances isn’t Vrana’s fault. I believe he should be getting more of a chance in the top six and on the team’s top power-play unit, but clearly, that isn’t happening right now.

Plus Two: Consecutive Games With a Goal for Neighbours

The overall production in 17 games hasn’t been there for Jake Neighbours, but he’s looked much better overall this season. He’s been creating solid offensive chances, blocking shots, and throwing his body around with hits all season. He’s trending in the right direction recently with back-to-back games with a goal.

He has four goals on the season and is up to 0.24 goals per game as opposed to 0.14 in 43 games last season. He’s still only 21 years old and has plenty of time to develop his game. There are signs of how good he can become as a top-nine forward for this team and I’m excited about it.

Minus Two: Power Play Still Struggling

The Blues’ power play is 4-for-52 on the season, which is good for 7.69 percent and 31st in the league. The only team worse than them on the power play this season is the Washington Capitals. The Blues have started to create more chances with the man advantage, but the production is not improving. Part of these struggles make me wonder why Vrana continues to not get opportunities on the top power-play unit, but it doesn’t appear like Berube is keen on making major changes to the units.

Plus Three: Blues Rank Seventh in Goals Against

The Blues’ defensive coverage and goaltending have improved a great deal from last season, where they ranked 27th in goals against (301). They allowed 3.63 goals against per game last season, which is much worse than the 2.71 goals against per game they’ve allowed this season. This helps keep them in games against tougher opponents, especially with some of their offensive struggles this season.

I think the Blues’ current structure should allow them to stay in or around the top 10 in goals against all season long. Berube and his staff have emphasized better defensive play from forwards and they’ve gotten that. Their improved backchecking makes the job easier for blueliners and goaltenders. I’ve been impressed with the improvements through 17 games.

Minus Three: Ugly Road Trip Out West

The Blues wrap up their road trip out West with a game against the Arizona Coyotes tonight, Nov. 22. They’ll return home to play a Friday matchup with the Nashville Predators, the first matchup between two Central Division foes this season. The first two games of the road trip were a disaster as their first game was a 5-1 loss to the league-worst Sharks and the second game was a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. They bounced back with a 3-1 win over the Ducks, but those first two games were rough.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Blues come out after a two-day break against a young Coyotes team. Splitting four games of a road trip after a brutal start would be great for a confidence boost throughout the locker room.