TRENDING College football updates NFL injury updates Brewers take Game 1 Tatum downplays beef Knicks change ring tune Story by Story by (10-24-26) Hurricanes-Blues Gameday Lineup Lou Korac Sat, October 24, 2026 at 5:06 PM UTC · 9 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Blues held a team-only meeting a couple days ago and decided that their style of play would encapsulate one way:
"Just want to be relentless," Blues forward Dylan Holloway said.
The disclosure came on the heels of an impressive 6-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, the first of two straight games for the Blues (5-4-1) on their current five-game homestand against the past two Stanley Cup finalists with the Carolina Hurricanes (8-2-2), the defending champs in town for a Saturday game (6 p.m.; Blue Note+, ESPN 101.1-FM).
"We just stuck to the way we were playing and it paid off," Holloway said of Thursday's win. "Just a lot of communication from our bench. We had some good team meetings (Wednesday), so I think they paid off. Just going over our identity, how we want to play as a team and what kind of identity we want to establish. It kind of just got everybody on the same page."
Now the question is, can they maintain that same kind of identity? Can they maintain a level of play that's demanding on a daily basis?
"What it takes is commitment, right," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. "If anybody watches who we play (tonight), they watch them play, they would say they're relentless and it's every game, it's every night, it's every practice. So, what it takes is a commitment. It's a simple thing to say, 'I'm going to be relentless,' but it takes a lot of hard work, and that's where the commitment comes in.
"… This is a great opportunity. We're really happy with the way we played. Can we do it again against the team that plays relentless, the most competitive team in the NHL? There's no surprises. They're coming hard to your net every chance. Any turnover off of O-zone, off the forecheck, off the neutral zone, are you going to beat them back at your net? Offensively, they're in your face everywhere. You'll have defensemen down at the goal line, so if you make a good decision with the puck, are you going to beat that guy to their net? One-on-one loose puck battles, are you going to be first on it? This is a real good test for us about being able to rinse-repeat with that same kind of effort and determination and also do it against the Stanley Cup champs. We did it last game against Vegas, Stanley Cup finalists. I just really like where the schedule just happened to be this time of year for the way we're playing."
How Montgomery and the coaching staff deliver that message will also play a big role in this.
"There's been books written about it, so you're always trying to find different ways to sell being relentless," Montgomery said. "Whether it's different words within your structure, but what I love is the word relentless came from them. It's not us saying that we need to be like that, it's them wanting to be like that and they took the action. Now, can we repeat it? It's rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat. You're not going to win every game just because you're relentless because other teams are trying to win hockey games too, but you're going to give yourself an opportunity and people are going to know when they play the St. Louis Blues, they're in for a hockey game. They better be ready. We've got to get to that level."
Defenseman Quinton Burns , recalled on Friday night from Springfield of the American Hockey League, not only played on Friday for the Thunderbirds in their 3-2 loss at Charlotte, but then got the word that he was coming to the NHL for the first time.
The third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft was on a 6:30 a.m. (CT) flight out of Charlotte Saturday morning early and in St. Louis in time to get on the ice this morning to take in the optional morning skate.
Adrenaline was high, to say the least despite the whirlwind of the past 12 hours or so.
"It's been busy, not a lot of sleep," Burns said. "I got done with my game in Charlotte yesterday and then got the news. It was really exciting, was on a flight early this morning here, so it was pretty cool.
"Just pure excitement, right? Just so many people to thank. It takes so many people to help me get here and yeah, it's just pure excitement. There wasn't a lot of words when I got told. Just really happy to be here and looking forward to getting to work."
Burns started off his first pro season last year with Florida of the ECHL, playing 16 games there (one goal, five assists, plus-10) before getting summoned up to Springfield, where he finished the season playing 31 regular-season games (five assists, 92 penalty minutes), then playing seven games there this season (one assist) before getting the call up.
It's been a culmination of hard work and determination to get here, and the Blues recognized it. It is also a chance for Theo Lindstein , who was assigned to the Thunderbirds late Thursday, to play rather than sit here in St. Louis.
"What do we got, like four games in the next week? We only have six healthy defensemen right now," Montgomery said. "Good opportunity for Lindstein to go down and get good ice time during those 3-4 games, and Burns is getting rewarded for all his hard work.
"Last year, his first year in pro went down to the East Coast League, worked his way back up to Springfield. Springfield just kept getting better and better. Great team guy, will fight for his teammates, will do anything to help his team win, block shots, smart defenseman. We believe if he continues to progress has a real good chance of being a real good defenseman in the league for a long time. That's the organization again rewarding someone for how they've really made a commitment to their development.
"I think (the physicality has) always been there. He's as old school as it gets. The Plagers would love him, ( Barret ) Jackman loves him."
There are no promises Burns will play in this stint here, so the 6-foot-2, 198-pound left-handed shot will soak up as much as he can and absorb as much information as possible, and if the opportunity presents itself, he will be ready.
"Just taking it day by day; obviously I'd love to play a game," Burns said. "But yeah, I'm just here to work and if my name gets called upon, I'll be ready to go and looking forward to it.
"I feel like my game feels pretty good right now. I just try to play simple. I try to be relentless and be really hard to play against. That's my identity, move the puck quick and be really hard to play against defensively and physical and that's just what I'm looking to bring here. I've got to be myself.
"It's been a journey. I've enjoyed every moment of it, getting sent down to Florida. Obviously you don't want to get sent down, but I just went to work and tried to get better and eventually when I got my chance up in Springfield, I thought I took it and I thought I played good. I had a really good summer and now I'm here. It just shows if you work hard and don't get discouraged, good things will happen, so I'm just really happy."
At Saturday's optional morning skate, injured skaters Logan Mailloux (hand), Ross Johnston (lower body) and Alexey Toropchenko (upper body) all were participants on the ice.
Toropchenko has been skating all week and was putting in a full workload minus the contact and is closest to returning.
"'Torpo's really close," Montgomery said. "I believe by Tuesday I would think he's ready. That's where he's at, very close. Way ahead of schedule. We didn't expect to have him back for a minimum four weeks and four weeks isn't until like next Friday."
Now will Toropchenko, injured in the season-opener against the Dallas Stars, jump right back in? That all depends since Aleksanteri Kaskimaki and Otto Stenberg have looked strong in their two games with Pius Suter on the fourth line.
"It does afford you the time to be patient, and if you want to see if those young men can consistently deliver the same thing they've given us for two games," Montgomery said. "I thought their first game was good, I thought they raised their level the second game, and that's what you want to see is guys not only be excited to play that first game but to be full-time NHLers and show the grit, the pace and the mental aptitude to get better."
Don't look now, but the Blues' power-play suddenly is eighth in the league after scoring in five straight games (6-for-17), including 2-for-2 against Vegas Thursday.
What's changed from the start of the season with new assistant coach Vinny Prospal running the show?
"I think changing habits takes a while, and Vinny talks a lot about shooting and shot volume and converging at the net and have numbers at the net and to the goals, and I think our power play last year was slow, and it wasn't about converging, it was about moving the puck around and waiting for the right opportunity," Montgomery said. "So he's changed the mindset and they understood it right away, but to change your own habits, that takes a couple of weeks anyways."
Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
Connor McMichael-Mason McTavish-Jonatan Berggren
Jake Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Pavel Buchnevich
Aleksanteri Kaskimaki-Pius Suter-Otto Stenberg
Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.
The healthy scratch includes Quinton Burns . Logan Mailloux (hand), Tyler Tucker (knee), Alexey Toropchenko (upper body), Dillon Dube (neck) and Ross Johnston (lower body) are out.
William Carrier-Sebastian Aho-Andrei Svechnikov
Nikolaj Ehlers-Logan Stankoven-Jackson Blake
Jordan Martinook-Jesperi Kotkaniemi-Seth Jarvis
Eric Robinson-Skyler Brind'Amour-Nicolas Deslauriers
Pyotr Kochetkov is projected to start in goal; Brandon Bussi would be the backup.
Healthy scratches could include Felix Unger Sorum and Mike Reilly . Taylor Hall (upper body), Mark Jankowski (lower body) and Jordan Staal (calf) are out.
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Source: Sports
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