Advertisement

Bannister Explains Lack Of Ice Time For Blues Line Of Holloway, Bolduc, Texier On Tuesday

lou korac
·2 min read

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- On Tuesday, the final stat sheet didn't lie for a trio of St. Louis Blues forwards in their 4-2 loss against the Minnesota Wild.

For Dylan Holloway (9:23), Alexandre Texier (9:18) and Zack Bolduc (8:30), the ice time was slim pickings, and Blues fans were well aware of it.

Even though the trio -- well, Texier was not on the ice due to a line change -- helped produce the first goal scored by Scott Perunovich that tied the game 1-1, the trio just didn't see consistent ice time throughout.

Drew Bannister offered up his reasoning why.

"A couple things. I felt 'Holly' hasn't played a lot of center and I think he's trying to find his stride there," Bannister said. "The communication goes a long ways when you have three players that haven't played a lot together and you have one player that hasn't played that position a lot at this area. I think he's got an opportunity to really take that job and run. I thought they had a great first shift and then they followed that up with three shifts that there was areas of the game I think they have to improve. I think communication on the bench and then coming onto the ice and talking a little bit more can solve those things.

"As the game went on and obviously was tighter, I just felt at that time to get some of the other guys going here, but we did use them. I think I did move 'Walks' [Nathan Walker] up into the middle with those two and they had a great shift there once in the third with the energy. I think 'Walks' drew a penalty the one time. I think it's a new line, they're trying to kind of feel each other out with the positions. I think just with the communication will go a long way with that group."

At practice on Wednesday, Mathieu Joseph, who was a healthy scratch along with Oskar Sundqvist on Tuesday, was on that line in place of Texier. Even though that line's Corsi-for/Corsi-against was 5-1 and a Forced-Fenwick for/Fenwick-Against was 4-1, it's a line in progress.