Blues playing better under Jim Montgomery, take on Lightning

Eleven games into the tenure of new coach Jim Montgomery, the St. Louis Blues appear to have solidified their footing and found their game.

The Blues and their new coach will embark on a three-game road trip, starting with Thursday night's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

After opening the season with a 9-12-1 record under coach Drew Bannister, St. Louis fired the former Lightning defenseman on Nov. 24. The Blues turned to Montgomery, who was dismissed by the Boston Bruins after a pair of early playoff exits -- despite him winning the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach in the 2022-23 season.

Driven by a positive approach inspired by his mother, the former Blues assistant to Craig Berube from 2020 to 2022 knew right away when he came back to St. Louis that the current club was better than he had heard.

"I saw the plays we were making ... the speed in which we were making the skilled plays," Montgomery said of his first game as the new bench boss on Nov. 25, a 5-2 victory over the host New York Rangers. "It wasn't one line, it was four lines. ... You see the one game where (Joel) Hofer is outstanding in net and then the next game (goaltender Jordan) Binnington breaks Mike Liut's record (for most wins by a St. Louis goalie). You know you have quality talent in the room."

St. Louis averaged 2.36 goals per game under Bannister but have improved to 2.90 with a 6-3-2 record with Montgomery.

Binnington is 8-12-3 with a 2.94 goals-against and .898 save percentage with one shutout in 24 games. Hofer is 7-3-0 with a 2.83 GAA and .905 save percentage with one shutout in 10 starts.

Jordan Kyrou had the only St. Louis tally in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. The center tops the club with 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists).

Robert Thomas has 23 points (six goals, 17 assists), while Pavel Buchnevich has totaled eight goals and 13 assists.

The Lightning have won three straight games, and no one wearing the home blue is hotter with the stick than Jake Guentzel.

Playing left wing on a top line that features center Brayden Point and right wing Nikita Kucherov, Guentzel has notched 18 goals, which is good enough for second to Point (21 tallies).

More significantly, Guentzel, who signed in free agency as a replacement for former star center Steven Stamkos, has beaten the goalie in seven straight matches, the NHL's longest streak so far.

However, coach Jon Cooper said forward Nick Paul was key in the Lightning's 5-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday -- which the home side led 4-0 with just 13 minutes remaining.

Paul (one goal, two assists) matched his career-high with three points.

"I think he was the best player on the ice for us tonight from start to finish," Cooper said after his club held on when the score became 4-3 late. "He's a big piece for us. He fills a lot of holes and does a lot of jobs."

While the fourth line's Luke Glendening managed a goal, the top line continues to amass points.

Kucherov had an assist to stretch his point streak to eight games (three goals, 15 helpers).

Point put the game away with an empty-net goal, the final tally, to extend his point streak to six games (five goals, 11 assists).

--Field Level Media