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The Blues are starting to see the Robert Thomas they’re used to seeing.

With a pair of nifty primary assists in key third-period situations in Utah and then Tuesday vs. Edmonton, the play-making, offense-producing Thomas looks like he’s back. And the Blues needed that version of their No. 1 center.

“I feel like last two games, taking big steps back to what I normally feel,� Thomas said. “It’s exciting. Obviously, you want to produce more and finish on your chances but lots of positives. Just got to keep the momentum going these last two games, and I know I’ll come out flying after the break as well.�

Thomas was the Blues’ most dangerous player during Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Oilers, even if a missed chance in the third period will sting. He had two prime opportunities to score in the first period, and then would have had another in overtime had Leon Draisaitl not hauled him down by grabbing his stick.

Thomas was also matched up almost exclusively with Edmonton’s top line, which just happened to feature two of the best players on the planet: Connor McDavid and Draisaitl.

“I thought the last couple games, you can see Thomas looking more and more like himself,� Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “The exciting part is there’s another couple of levels there that he knows and I’m well aware that is there. That’s the exciting part is he’s starting to play really a concentrated effort at both ends of the ice. He had four glorious opportunities to score (Tuesday) night. He keeps getting those, it’s just going to be good for us.�

Thomas finished the night by playing 21:00 with a team-high six shot attempts and three shots on goal. According to Natural Stat Trick, Thomas had five scoring chances, two high-danger chances and 0.6 expected goals, all of which led the Blues.

“I think we just moved the puck quick,� Thomas said. “We were supporting each other, were able to make one-two passes that creates a lot of time and space, especially against top guys (like McDavid and Draisaitl). They’re aggressive really quickly to try and get the puck so they can go attack the other way. We were able to get out of the pressure, and it created a lot for us, especially myself.�

Thomas spotted Colton Parayko for a go-ahead goal in the third period Tuesday, two nights after picking out a cutting Jordan Kyrou for the eventual game winner in Utah on Sunday. For the first time since Jan. 7 and 9, Thomas had primary points at five on five in consecutive games.

“For me, it’s just patience, waiting for guys to get into spots and finding the dead ice in the O-zone,� Thomas said. “You can make plays when you get a little bit of time.�

Montgomery said when Thomas’ teammates start finishing on the chances he creates, “He starts feeling it. He is a setup, he is a play-making center first, so that makes him feel good. Now he gets more in a rhythm offensively shooting the puck himself.�

Thomas’ slump was magnified by the concurrent downturn of the team overall.

In a nine-game span before Sunday, Thomas registered just three points overall, two points at five on five and only one primary point at five on five. During that stretch, he was benched for half a period in Utah. Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich shuffled through linemates. Unsurprisingly, the Blues went 3-6-0 during those nine games, including a four-game losing streak.

What does Thomas try to do in order to get out from a slump like that?

“Watching current tape, looking at things you missed,� Thomas said. “I think a lot of it is trying to build little by little slowly. When you’re going good and then you start to not score, you kind of lose your details a little bit, so you’ve got to get your details back and then you start to feel everything else come together. Took a little bit longer than I would’ve liked, but feel like I’m going again.�

Overall, Thomas’ production at five on five is right about where it was during his career season a year ago. He’s produced 2.22 points per 60 minutes, right about at the 2.26 he was at last year. He’s attempting more shots than he ever has, getting more shots on goal than he ever has and giving himself more dangerous chances than he ever has on a per hour basis at five on five.

He’s also been one of the league’s best forwards at generating offense overall. When Thomas is on the ice at 5 on 5, the Blues have 1.01 more expected goals per hour than with him off it, according to Natural Stat Trick. That’s fourth in the NHL among forwards with 10 hours of ice time at five on five. In front of Thomas? Nathan MacKinnon, McDavid and Draisaitl.

Now it’s just about getting Thomas to the next level that Montgomery believes is there.

“One is just his confidence and you see it coming right now,� Montgomery said. “The second part is just his habits of being consistent with his habits that allows him to get the puck more often because of his defensive and offensive habits.�