The Blues were going to try everything for their captain Brayden Schenn.
Late in a 4-1 win over the Flames on Thursday night, Schenn had two goals and the Blues were going on a power play. For Schenn’s teammates, that only meant one thing: he would not be leaving the ice. Oskar Sundqvist gave up his power-play shift for Schenn, and the captain played the final 2:11 of the game searching for the elusive third goal.
It didn’t come, but Schenn’s first multi-goal game of the season was a decent consolation prize.
“I tried to come off first on the power play and I had the whole bench screaming at me to get out there,†Schenn said. “That’s just selfless hockey by those guys, especially by ‘Sunny.’ When I was out there, they were just trying to feed me for the hat trick.
“Obviously, that’s the kind of things you need in the locker room to build on: guys taking stuff away from themselves (when) they might get a goal to try and set someone else up. If I’m ever in that position, I’ll be throwing it back to Sunny.â€
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It would have been Schenn’s fifth career hat trick, and unbelievably, his first one at Enterprise Center. His two with the Blues have come on the road: against Montreal on Dec. 5, 2017 and against Colorado on Nov. 11, 2023.
The Blues were trying to force feed Schenn the puck late in the game, and he had his chances around the net but couldn’t convert.
“You saw at the end,†the Blues’ Jordan Kyrou said. “(We were trying) pretty bad, I think. Everyone was trying to give it to him. He played unbelievable tonight, so you want that for him.â€
Schenn’s first goal came after Dylan Holloway puck-jacked MacKenzie Weegar behind the Flames’ net and found Schenn open in the slot. His second was on the power play, redirecting a pass from Jake Neighbours in the second period.
Schenn now has 10 goals on the season, and has five points in his last four games.
Walker throws down
In his return to the Blues’ lineup after he was a healthy scratch on Tuesday night, Nathan Walker got in his third fight of the season, this one Thursday against Calgary’s Brayden Pachal late in the third period.
Walker previously fought San Jose’s Ty Dellandrea on Dec. 12, and Ottawa’s Cole Reinhardt on Jan. 3.
“That’s a guy that’s fought for every inch he’s ever gotten in this league,†Schenn said of Walker. “He still continues to do it. He comes to the rink every night, one (to) stay in the lineup, (or) steal guys’ jobs. It’s kind of the reality of it. He plays hard every single night and is such a good guy. That’s a guy you want to play with and guys love him in the room.â€
Walker registered a game-high eight hits against the Flames as he came back into the fold. Walker and Zack Bolduc were in the lineup, as Alexandre Texier and Brandon Saad came out.
Hall of Fame broadcast
The Blues announced on Friday that the team’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be aired live on Matrix Midwest. That station is affiliated with KMOV (Channel 4), and can be found over the air on Channel 32, and on Channel 6 through Spectrum (Charter) cable.
The induction ceremony is at 8 p.m. next Friday at the downtown Missouri Athletic Club. The team will induct Wayne Babych, Curtis Joseph and Jim Roberts, and Bruce Affleck will receive the True Blue Award.
Matrix Midwest also will air select classic Blues games as part of Hall of Fame weekend programming. At 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 31, KMOV will air a Blues Hall of Fame special program.
As previously announced, the KMOV group will air three Blues games as well: Feb. 22 vs. Winnipeg and March 8 at Los Angeles will be on KMOV and Matrix Midwest), with the March 25 contest vs. Montreal only on Matrix.
