After talking about the Blues all day today, we know plenty about how disappointing things have been in St. Louis after three straight seasons with disappointing finishes.
Fortunately for Blues fans, defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is looking on the bright side of life. Rather than dwelling on not reaching the ultimate goal and bringing the franchise its first Stanley Cup, he’s using those defeats as motivation as he told Chris Lomon at the NHLPA website.
“The one great thing about this group is that through the disappointments, team chemistry is through the roof,” noted Shattenkirk. “It’s a very close locker room and everyone sticks together. That’s something I learned from the moment I came to St. Louis. I think the guys we’ve added will experience the same thing. We know we haven’t done what we’ve set out to accomplish. We also know that’s the one thing we’re focused on.”
With the addition of Paul Stastny to the roster the Blues are truly in “go for it” mode. One area they don’t have to worry about is defense.
Shattenkirk’s play on the blue line has been a big reason why the Blues have been so strong on the back end. Teamed up with Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester, the Blues defense is a legitimate strength. Swapping the slow-footed but physical Roman Polak for sure-handed Carl Gunnarsson this summer was an under-the-radar move that could pay off handsomely as well.
It’s virtually the same team that they had last season. Chemistry shouldn’t be a problem with this club and neither should motivation.
