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2009-10 Season Preview: Penalty Kill combinations
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PK could see some more time on the PK.
Looking back, the St. Louis Blues had a strong penalty kill unit during the 08-09 season.
What made the units so strong was their offensive and defensive balancing of the two lines.
Excellent two-way play by Alex Steen and Jay McClement headed the line with more of a defensive mindset, but showed they could also play in the opponent's zone.
Later, we saw the combination of T.J. Oshie and David Backes provide a scoring punch while the team was a man down.
McClement showed he has the ability to put the puck in the net, recording a team high three shorthanded goals.
Returning veteran Paul Kariya saw time on the PK last year before his hip injury. His speed and vision make him another offensive threat when on the ice during a kill.
On the defensive side, I would look for Barret Jackman to take most of the minutes while the Blues are a man down. Jackman proved he could eat up ice time (even while injured) last season and continued to battle in front of the net.
Blues fans should also expect to see Erik Johnson on the ice during the penalty kill. Johnson needs to play as much as possible. Getting all the experience possible through the different types of ice time in 2009-10 could become invaluable for the Blues in the future.
Other Blues defensemen did a fine job filling in for a depleted core last year.
In other news, the two-way signing of Derek Armstrong could be a very important one for the Blues.
Murray became familiar of Armstrong's hard-nosed style of play during their stint in Los Angeles. While he may be a contingency plan in case of an injury, Armstrong provides a valuable depth component who has shown he can play a bit of offense too.
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