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New York Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Blues' colossal collapse: How two 6-on-5 goals led to ‘brutal' 2OT Game 7 loss to Jets
WINNIPEG — Only one outcome could have made the St. Louis Blues feel the pain they did Sunday. And it happened. They could have lost Game 7 to the Winnipeg Jets by five goals. The immediate reaction to the end of the 2024-25 season would've been disappointing, but understandable. The Jets were the NHL's best team in the regular season, hosting the winner-take-all game in a series in which the home team had won all six games up to that point. Advertisement Jim Montgomery's club could take the experience gained from its Western Conference first-round series back to St. Louis and know that the retool had been expedited exponentially. That may well still be the case in the end. However, long after the NHL careers of rookies Jimmy Snuggerud and Zack Bolduc are over, fans will still remember the year the Blues led Game 7 against the Jets by two goals with less than two minutes to play in regulation and, beyond unfathomably, fell 4-3 in double overtime. And that it happened because of an area of their game that was an Achilles' heel all season — six-on-five — won't be forgotten anytime soon, either. With Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck pulled for an extra attacker and the Blues clinging to a 3-1 lead, the Jets' Vladislav Namestnikov scored with 1:56 remaining in regulation and Cole Perfetti capped off a sequence of perfection to tie the score with 2.2 seconds left. If Blues fans were pessimistic about the team's chances of recovering from that, those feelings proved accurate, as Jets captain Adam Lowry deflected in the series-clinching goal with 3:50 left in double OT. Lowry's goal will go down as the official game winner, but Perfetti's goal will be remembered right up there with Steve Yzerman's double-OT goal to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 1-0 win over the Blues in the 1996 conference semifinals. Perhaps not quite to that level because of the Blues' Stanley Cup aspirations that season with Brett Hull and Wayne Gretzky on the roster, but just as torturous. 'A second and a half away from closing out the series … it's brutal,' Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. Instead of packing up and preparing to play the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference semifinals, the Blues will be thinking 'what if? for a long time to come. Advertisement 'I've had a few painful ones,' Montgomery said. 'I've had overtime Game 7 losses. Anytime your season ends, it's painful.' But not as painful as giving up the latest game-tying goal in a Game 7 in NHL history, eclipsing the previous record of six seconds set by the Vancouver Canucks' Matt Cooke in 2004. And, along with the Namestnikov goal, having it come six-on-five. The Blues had a league-leading 13 goals against with the opponent's goalie pulled for an extra attacker in the regular season. Well, they can add two more to that total after Sunday. After defenseman Colton Parayko flipped the puck into the offensive zone for an icing with 3:14 left, Winnipeg called a timeout and pulled Hellebuyck. Blues forward Robert Thomas had an empty net attempt with 2:55 left, but missed wide left. There was another icing by Blues defenseman Justin Faulk with 2:28 left, bringing a faceoff back into the Blues' zone. After Lowry beat Oskar Sundqvist on the draw, the Jets kept the puck in the zone for the next 35 seconds, and Namestnikov scored on a shot that deflected in off Schenn's stick with 1:55 to play. THE WINNIPEG JETS ARE WITHIN ONE! 😱 📺: Sportsnet — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 5, 2025 With Winnipeg trimming the deficit to 3-2, Hellebuyck went back in the net, but left again with 1:26 remaining. The Jets came close to tying the score with 1:06 left, but Binnington kept out a puck that was centimeters from crossing the goal line. It was ruled no goal on the ice and held up after a review. There was a faceoff in the Blues' defensive zone, and Thomas iced the puck again with 53 seconds left. There was another faceoff and Pavel Buchnevich shot at the empty net, resulting in another icing with 46 seconds left. The Blues got a clear, but the Jets brought the puck back into the offensive zone with 23 seconds left, and after clearing attempts by Faulk and Parayko, the puck wound up in the corner with 12 seconds to play. Advertisement It came out to the point to Nikolaj Ehlers, who whiffed on a shot, but Lowry sent it back out to him. With about three seconds left, instead of taking another desperation shot, Ehlers made a cross-ice pass to Kyle Connor, who fed the puck in front to Perfetti for a deflection past Blues goalie Jordan Binnington. Game tied, 3-3. WITH 1.6 SECONDS TO GO. 🤯 COLE PERFETTI‼️ — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 5, 2025 It was certainly a heads-up play by Ehlers. 'He's a smart player,' Parayko said. 'He must have saw it there.' Montgomery noted that when Connor got the puck from Ehlers, he whiffed on the shot. 'It went right to a guy (Perfetti) in the slot,' Montgomery said. Even so, it was yet another six-on-five goal against. What gives? 'I don't know,' Parayko said. 'I wish I had the right answer. When we're good six-on-five, we're at the net front. We're pushing out fast, making it hard on them to make plays. But I don't know.' Schenn, who was on the ice for both six-on-five goals Sunday, didn't want to get into the details. 'I'm not talking about six-on-five right now,' he said. It doesn't matter now because the season is over, but the Blues have to figure out a better way of defending against the pulled-goalie situation, and Montgomery knows it. 'It's an area of our team that has not been good all year and it's an area I have to get better at so that our team is better next year at pulled goalie situations,' he said. 'I don't want to continue to talk about six-on-five (anymore). Like I said, we'll analyze it, we'll get better, OK? We can analyze this at the end of the year.' The Blues had other issues, however. After taking a 3-1 lead with 35 seconds left in the second period on a goal by Radek Faksa, they were outshot 34-18 from the start of the third period until the end of the game. And that was against a defense that was down to just five blueliners after Josh Morrissey left in the first period with an injury. Advertisement 'I thought we had opportunities to make plays and we didn't,' Montgomery said. 'We forced a little too much offense and didn't spend enough O-zone time in the first overtime. The second overtime, we were a little bit better.' The Blues either led or were tied entering the third period in three of the four games in Winnipeg and lost each of them. They had their chances both earlier in the series and on Sunday, but came up short. It'll be a difficult loss and series to get past. 'No one gave us a chance right from the very beginning, but guys battled hard, guys competed hard for one another,' Schenn said. 'Just a relentless group that was just willing to buy in for each other,' Parayko said. Montgomery said he walked into the Blues' locker room afterward and said a few words. 'I went in and thanked them,' he said. 'It really hurts right now. You lose Game 7 in overtime, especially when you have the lead going at the end, it just hurts. But I wanted to thank them for their effort, their execution and their part in helping change things. It took everybody on deck to be able to do what we did.' And Montgomery believes what transpired after the 4 Nations Face-Off will bode well for the Blues' future. 'What we did here in the last three months is we changed the culture back to where it needs to be, to be able to grow and get better,' he said. 'Now we need to continue to have a great summer and grow as an organization on and off the ice, so that we can continue to build off this. That's what we've done and we've got to continue to do it for our great fans.' Some solace will be taken, but as Schenn concluded, 'It's just a tough way to lose when you're that close to advancing.'
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
St. Louis Blues Call Up Top Prospect From AHL
Image The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have recalled forward Dalibor Dvorsky from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. Dvorsky was sent back down to the Thunderbirds on April 3 but is now heading right back to the Blues' roster. The 19-year-old forward will look to impress during his latest opportunity with the NHL squad from here. Advertisement Dvorsky made his NHL debut for the Blues on March 23 against the Nashville Predators. During the contest, the young forward had 10:40 time on ice. Down at the AHL level this season with the Thunderbirds, Dvorsky has been very impactful. In 59 games, he has 20 goals, 24 assists, and 44 points. He was also named to the AHL All-Star Classic due to his strong play. Dvorsky will now aim to take advantage of receiving another shot on the Blues' roster from here. The 2023 tenth-overall pick is one of the club's most promising prospects and has the potential to blossom into a top-six forward at the NHL level later down the road. Thus, all eyes will be on him during this latest chance on the Blues' roster. Recent Blues News Blues Top Prospect Jimmy Snuggerud Has Golden Opportunity Advertisement Exciting Blues Prospect Is Red-Hot In AHL Right Now Blues' Jimmy Snuggerud Is Already Impressing Big Time Blues Star Exits Penguins Matchup With Injury Blues Send First-Round Pick Back To AHL Blues Defenseman Continuing To Be Incredible Addition Blues' Jordan Binnington Rewarded For Stellar Month Blues Star Is Absolutely Thriving Right Now
New York Times
02-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Jimmy Snuggerud's NHL debut: A shift-by-shift look from the OT win
ST. LOUIS — Not only was Jimmy Snuggerud playing his first NHL game Tuesday night with the St. Louis Blues, it was the first time he had ever been to Enterprise Center. The handful of times he'd been to town for a prospect camp, the practices have been held at Centene Community Ice Center. 'Yeah, I was trying to find the film room a couple of times,' Snuggerud said. Advertisement Wow, did he get a good first impression. The Blues were within a minute of watching their nine-game winning streak come to an end against the Detroit Red Wings. But with 29 seconds left in regulation, Jordan Kyrou tied the score, 1-1, and then Cam Fowler won the thriller in overtime 2-1. The sellout crowd of 18,096 at Enterprise Center celebrated the Blues' 10th straight win, which put them in the No. 1 wild card in the Western Conference with 89 points. 'The rink was so energetic,' Snuggerud said. 'When we scored that game-tying goal, it was so loud in here and then the overtime winner was twice as loud. It's really fun to be here and see that. 'Everything about the game — the comeback at the end — it was an awesome game. We snuck one out there at there at the end, and it was fun to be a part of.' Likewise, the Blues got a good impression of Snuggerud. The 20-year-old right winger logged 10:43 of ice time in his debut and had just two shots on goal, but he made several subtle plays all over the ice that impressed Blues coach Jim Montgomery and his new teammates. 'I thought he was really good,' Montgomery said. 'I thought he made smart plays. I didn't think he overcomplicated the game and he made plays on first-touch. That's a real good sign of a hockey player with really good hockey sense. I thought he acquitted himself well in his first game in the NHL and I was very confident putting him over the boards.' A moment he'll never forget! Jimmy Snuggerud is making his NHL debut with the @StLouisBlues! 🎶 — NHL (@NHL) April 1, 2025 Just five days ago, Snuggerud was playing with the University of Minnesota in an NCAA regional game. But after falling 5-4 in overtime to the University of Massachusetts, he joined the Blues for his first practice Tuesday and was in uniform a day later. 'I think he did a really nice job,' Fowler said. 'Coming in at this point in the season, fresh out of college, that's not an easy thing for anybody to do. But he stepped in, and you could see his poise with the puck and how strong he was in the corners. He'll only get more comfortable, and I think you'll see a lot more out of him.' Snuggerud eventually found the Blues' film room. While The Athletic didn't have access to that, we did break down each of his 15 shifts Tuesday, and got some feedback from him on a few of the sequences. 1st shift: (18:40-18:27) The crowd cheered as Snuggerud took the ice for his first shift. 'I heard something, but I didn't know it was before,' he said. 'It was cool.' It was an offense-zone draw, and after the Red Wings cleared the zone, there was a whistle. So Snuggerud's first time over the boards lasted all of 13 seconds. 2nd shift: (15:49-14:55) His next time out, the Blues were on the power play. They have him playing in the 'bumper' position, which is in the middle of the ice in the slot. You'll see as the puck is rotated around the perimeter, Snuggerud moves side to side, trying to be an option for a quick pass and shot. 3rd shift: (14:16-13:35) Snuggerud gets knocked over by former Blues player Vladimir Tarasenko on the boards, but he gets back on his skates and helps break up a play in front of the Blues' net. 'I kind of got buried by Tarasenko in the first on the boards,' Snuggerud said. 'I was like, 'All right, I've got to get into it.'' 4th shift: (10:04-9:37) Snuggerud is going to be a shooter in the NHL, and on his fourth shift of the game, he attempted his first shot in the league. He sets himself upby gathering a loose puck in the neutral zone, pushing it ahead to Oskar Sundqvist and then skating into Sundqvist's return pass before taking aim on goalie Cam Talbot. 'You don't get as many chances as I did in college, but it was nice to get a shot off and it was a good save,' Snuggerud said. 5th shift: (8:49-8:05) Snuggerud showed some speed, skating the puck through the neutral zone, and some tenacity getting through Detroit's defense to try and put some pressure on the puck below the goal line. 'You simulate what you think it's going to be, and then you actually get out there and it's a whole different level of hockey,' Snuggerud said. 'It's fun to get that first game in and see the pace.' 6th shift: (5:28-4:21) Back on the power play, Snuggerud nearly finds himself with a wide-open shot, but captain Brayden Schenn's pass is picked up. Snuggerud subsequently picks off the Red Wings' clearing attempt, but can't do much with the puck because the Blues would've been offside. 7th shift: (12:52-12:13) The Red Wings had the puck at the point and Snuggerud went down in an attempt to block a shot. Then, when the puck came around the wall, his quick stick allowed the Blues to clear the zone. 8th shift: (9:09-8:40) The Blues' Zack Bolduc made a pass to keep the puck low in the zone. Snuggerud was able to win a forecheck battle with the Red Wings defenseman and get the puck back out to the point. 'The defenseman are so skilled, and they make small, little plays,' Snuggerud said. 'You're just trying to get your stick on the puck and catch a piece of the body. You've got to work really hard to get on it.' 9th shift: (6:45-5:55) Snuggerud found a loose puck in the neutral zone and sent a cross-ice feed to Sundqvist. That allows Sundqvist to throw a puck toward the net, which Bolduc deflects wide, but it was a scoring chance created by Snuggerud. 'These players are so good, they're always in the right position,' he said. 'You see a peak of them, and if you can get the puck to them, they're going to be there and they're going to catch the puck.' 10th shift: (3:08-2:32) There wasn't much opportunity for Snuggerud on this shift, but twice he tries to provide puck support — first for Philip Broberg and then for Sundqvist — by staying close by and presenting his stick for a pass. 11th shift: (18:20-17:18) Snuggerud was active along the boards on this shift, but he lost the puck, and that created a scoring chance for the Red Wings at the other end. 12th shift: (15:10-14:47) Detroit got the first goal of the game from J.T. Compher, and while Snuggerud wasn't necessarily at fault, he felt he could have done more. 'I feel I should've backchecked to the house,' he said. 'It was kind of a broken play, broken puck, but I still should've had that guy backdoor. I was at the point and I was racing back, but I should've recognized it earlier.' 13th shift: (12:04-11:27) Snuggerud showed some speed getting around Detroit's defense and then hit Jake Neighbours with a pass at the front of the net. While they didn't score, it was a good chance. 'I felt like I had a step on the D,' Snuggerud said. 'Neighbours was backdoor for me, and I tried to get it over there for him.' 14th shift: (6:29-5:31) Snuggerud did a nice job of slowing up the forecheck and letting Fowler hit Compher. That allowed Snuggerud to stay aggressive in the other corner and pressure the puck until the Red Wings were able to exit. 15th shift: (2:02-:59) On his last shift of the game, Snuggerud tried to be a screen on a point shot. While it didn't work, it showed a lot of trust by Montgomery by having a player making his NHL debut on the ice in a 6-on-5 situation in a critical game for the team. 'You want to be in those situations as a player,' Snuggerud said. 'It's a hard league to play in, and to get a chance like that, it was really cool to be a part.' Snuggerud did not play in overtime, but Montgomery said he nearly used him. 'I think if we were going to make another change, it was going to be Neighbours and Snuggerud going over (the boards),' Montgomery said. '(Snuggerud) was making things happen. He drove that puck wide, and he went back post, and we just missed the tap-in. That's not the only clever play he made, and I thought he was responsible defensively.' It was a solid night for Snuggerud, and there will be plenty more. 'The first game was really fun,' he said. 'It was a nervous game, but it was fun to play with so many good players.' (Photo of Jimmy Snuggerud battling Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson: Jeff Le – Imagn Images)
New York Times
31-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Jimmy Snuggerud's first day with the Blues: A ride from the captain, a new number and a starting job
ST. LOUIS — The phone calls started coming in to the front desk at the St. Louis Blues practice facility at 5 a.m. Monday. 'Centene Community Ice Center, how may I assist you?' the receptionist said as she answered a dozen inquiries into the team's practice time. 'They're on the ice at 11.' The Jimmy Snuggerud era has officially begun. Advertisement The Blues announced Friday that they had signed Snuggerud to a three-year entry-level contract, and then the 20-year-old right winger joined the hottest team in the NHL after it secured its ninth consecutive win on Saturday in Colorado. 'It was a really quick turnaround — kind of from zero to 100 and a lot of emotions,' said Snuggerud, whose University of Minnesota team was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament last week. 'I'm really excited to be here now and meet this group of guys.' Speaking of quick, it appears that Snuggerud could be in the Blues' lineup right away. They host the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday at Enterprise Center in the first game of a three-game homestand. 'Potentially,' Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. '(I'll) talk it over with the staff. He's a quality talent that we've acquired, and it's just going to make us deeper and better.' Snuggerud, a Hobey Baker finalist who finished with 24 goals and 51 points in 40 games at Minnesota this season, traveled to St. Louis over the weekend and stayed in a hotel the night before his first practice with the team. He admitted to having 'a little trouble sleeping' because of the excitement ahead of Monday's practice. Snuggerud was chauffeured to the Blues' practice facility by captain Brayden Schenn. The two players have the same agent, Ben Hankinson of Octagon Athlete Representation. 'Schenn picked me up,' Snuggerud said. 'He's been great. He's such a great leader — such a great person. Everything about him is just awesome. He's been through so much as a player, and you get to ride in the car with him and be his teammate now. It's so cool. You get to see life through his eyes.' Then just before 11 a.m., Snuggerud skated onto the ice for his first practice with the Blues and saw life as an NHL player through his own eyes. Snuggerud takes the ice with the Blues. #stlblues — Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) March 31, 2025 In the opening drill, Snuggerud was paired with Alexandre Texier. They made a few quick passes to each other, and with that, he was off and running. 'You have to be ready from the start,' Snuggerud said. 'There's so many good players on the ice, so just watch what they're doing and learn from them. It showed quick, though. It was a fast-paced practice — a lot of movement, a lot of speed. It's just to get on the ice with the guys.' Advertisement The decision to turn pro, Snuggerud said, was two-fold. First, he felt he had improved in the areas — speed, puck possession, leadership — that made him want to return to the Gophers for his junior season. 'I feel I worked on them well enough where I could jump on this team,' Snuggerud said. And second, he wanted to be part of a team that is sitting in the No. 2 wild card spot in the Western Conference on Monday, with 87 points. 'I want to be here for them and be by their side when they win hockey games,' Snuggerud said. 'That was the most important thing for me, making that jump — just knowing the mentality is hockey, hockey, hockey. There's no school anymore. It's hockey, and you're here to win hockey games.' There's no school, but there will be classes to complete — well, at some point. 'Hopefully I'll finish out,' Snuggerud said. 'We'll see how it goes.' Monday was about learning what the Blues want from him and what they see in him. 'I'd say advice playing-wise, it's just play hard, work your butt off, be competitive and use your hockey IQ,' Snuggerud said of what he's been told. Jimmy Snuggerud is here. #stlblues — St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 31, 2025 In a 35-minute practice, it didn't take Montgomery long to see why the club drafted Snuggerud at No. 23 in 2022. 'His hockey sense. His game management. His puck play was really good. His hands are exceptional. His skating is NHL speed,' Montgomery said. 'Those are things that you're looking to see, but the biggest thing is the brain. He thinks it so well.' Schenn also noted Snuggerud's shot, which produced two goals in Minnesota's 5-4 regional loss to the Massachusetts. In 119 career games with the Gophers, he had 66 goals. 'He can score,' Schenn said. The Blues had Snuggerud on the third line with Oskar Sundqvist and Zack Bolduc on Monday, giving an indication that he'll be in the lineup Tuesday. He was also on one of the power-play units, lining up in the bumper position. Advertisement 'He did a really good job there,' Montgomery said. 'Supported pucks well. He understands time and space. He's a scorer and a shooter, and those guys know how to get open. You could see his puck support and release were ideal for the bumper position.' But as the captain said, everyone should keep their expectations reasonable. 'Let him feel comfortable, and let him go from there,' Schenn said. 'He's going to be nervous. He was nervous today. He flat-out said it. He's never even done an NHL training camp, right? So it's our job to make him feel as comfortable as possible as quick as possible. 'Obviously he has elite talent, but at the same time, you don't expect him to come in here and be this guy that's going to save your season. He's just got to be a piece for us, and that's all we need from him.' Montgomery, who spent five seasons coaching at Denver University (2013 to '18), will lean on his experience with college-age players when bringing Snuggerud into the mix. 'It's the path that I know, what the adjustment is like,' Montgomery said. 'It's being able to give them a little bit of advice on what to expect the biggest differences will be and how he's going to have to adjust his game to be able to get the scoring chances that he's been used to getting at every level.' #stlblues practice lines: Neighours-Thomas-BuchnevichHolloway-Schenn-KyrouBolduc-Sundqvist-SnuggerudToropchenko-Faksa-WalkerExtras: Joseph, Texier, Dvorsky Fowler-LeddyBroberg-FaulkSuter-TuckerExtra: Parayko, Kessel BinningtonHofer — Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) March 31, 2025 Montgomery will also have to balance the emotions of players who might be taken out of the lineup to make room for Snuggerud and the disruption that could cause. For example, Mathieu Joseph was an extra forward in Monday's practice, as was Texier. 'As a coach, you never stop worrying about all of those possibilities,' Montgomery said. 'But in the end, I think if you communicate to everybody that's involved, especially your leaders, and they understand that when we bring in a new player, it's an opportunity for us to get better and that's why we're doing it. In the end, we all want to put the best players on the ice and the best team possible. I'll sit with the staff, and we'll see if we make a change to the lineup or not.' Advertisement Schenn wasn't concerned about the team's chemistry being affected. 'We're not going to worry about Jimmy being a disruption in our locker room,' he said. 'You hear a lot about him — hear he's a great kid, a guy that is well-liked by his teammates. He's going to be quiet initially. That's just the reality of coming into pro sports and being a young guy. If he has any questions, you're there to answer them. It's one of those things where you don't have to worry about him coming in and disrupting anything.' The Blues, in fact, let Snuggerud lead the post-practice stretch Monday and were tapping their sticks on the ice to show support for their new teammate. Meanwhile, the newest No. 21 in franchise history was saying and doing all of the right things. Why did Snuggerud, who wore No. 81 in college but can't have that number because it belongs to Dylan Holloway, take No. 21? 'I just looked at the list and happened to choose No. 21,' he said. 'I'm playing for what's on the front.' And on jumping into the lineup with a team that's in a playoff race? 'You dream of it as a kid, but I'm playing for everyone else in here,' Snuggerud said. 'I'm here to win hockey games. They're the hottest team in the NHL, and I'm so lucky and grateful to be a part of it.' (Photo of Jimmy Snuggerud and Alexandre Texier courtesy of the Blues)
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blues Top Prospect Expected To Make NHL Debut Tuesday
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Like any nervous kid looking to do something for the first time Jimmy Snuggerud was like a sponge on Monday. The 2022 first-round pick (No. 23) by the St. Louis Blues was on the practice ice on Monday for the first time after signing his three-year, entry-level contract on Friday, just one day after a premature ending to his collegiate season – and career – when the Minnesota Golden Gophers fell to Massachusetts 5-4 in overtime on Thursday at the Fargo Regional semifinals. Advertisement And judging by practice line combinations and power play drills, the 20-year-old is expected to make his NHL debut when the Blues (40-28-7) put their nine-game winning streak on the line to begin a three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings (34-33-6). 'Potentially,' Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. 'He had a good practice, will talk it over with the staff, but there's some quality talent that we've acquired and is going to make us deeper, better.' Snuggerud, who had 51 points (24 goals, 27 assists) in 40 games for the Golden Gophers this season, was on a line with Oskar Sundqvist and Zack Bolduc on Monday and played the bumper with one of the Blues' power-play units. Advertisement 'It was good. It was a fast-paced practice,' Snuggerud said. 'A lot of movement, a lot of speed. It was fun. It was just great to be on the ice with the guys. 'It's kind of just learning from other guys and watching. The speed, it showed quick. The first drill, you kind of have to be ready from the start and there's so many good players on the ice, so just watch them and what they're doing and kind of learn from them.' It's been a whirlwind of emotions for the 20-year-old, who went back to school on his own accord, to not only better himself in certain areas he felt he wasn't ready for to compete at this level yet but also to try and win a national championship, which he unfortunately was unable to do. 'It's kind of hard to turn the page quick, but you kind of have to honestly,' Snuggerud said. 'You jump from one team to another team who is the hottest team in the National Hockey League. You've got to switch your mindset quick. I think I've learned from a lot of people in my life that have taught me to do that. It's been an easy adjustment. Advertisement 'It was a really quick turnaround honestly. From zero to 100. A lot of emotions honestly. You lose your season and I'm really excited to be here now and meet this group of guys.' Should Snuggerud jump into the lineup, he will go in for Mathieu Joseph, who was an extra along with 2023 first-round pick (No. 10 overall) Dalibor Dvorsky and Alexandre Texier. 'You come in and let him play, let him feel comfortable and go from there,' Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. 'He's going to be nervous, he was nervous today. He flat-out said it, right. He's never been in an NHL training camp, right, so it's our job to make him feel as comfortable as possible as quick as possible. Obviously he has elite talent and at the same time, you don't expect him to come in here and be this guy that's going to save your season or whatever. He's just got to be a piece for us and that's all we need from him and just play his game.' Montgomery admitted prior to Monday not knowing anything about Snuggerud other than what he's maybe seen on television or read about him. And after a practice session, he's learned, 'His hockey sense, his game management, his puck play was really good. His hands are exceptional, his skating is NHL speed. Those are things you're looking to see, but the biggest thing is the brain, that he thinks it so well.' Advertisement With the Blues, who hold the second wild card from the Western Conference, on an absolute tear, does it disrupt the room implementing someone new into the lineup? 'We're not going to worry about Jimmy being a disruption in our locker room,' said Schenn, who drove Snuggerud to the rink on Monday. 'I think our locker room's good enough where he can come in and just be a piece for us and a guy that has a lot of skill and a lot of talent that can fit in well for us. Even in the run, Matt Kessel stepped in for a game, Dvorsky stepped in for a game. It's one of those things where you don't have to worry about him coming in and disrupting or any of that stuff. That's not what we're worried about. You let him come in, find his game, but at the same time, don't put pressure on him. Just let him play and let him get better game by game.' Montgomery said, though, it was something that needed to be addressed with the leaders. 'As a coach, you never stop worrying about all those possibilities, but in the end, I think if you communicate to everybody that's involved, especially your leaders, and they understand that when we bring in a new player, it's an opportunity for us to get better, and that's why we're doing it, and in the end, we all want to put the best players on the ice and the best team possible,' Montgomery said. 'I'll sit with the staff and we'll see if we make a change in the lineup or not.' Advertisement The points of emphasis Snuggerud feels he's equipped to handle now include, 'Speed, puck possession, poise, leadership things. Those things are kind of why I decided to come back and that's what I wanted to work on. I feel like I worked on those things well enough to a point where I could jump on this team. But like I said before, it's a fast-paced game and I'm really lucky and fortunate to be here and I feel like I've improved myself to be here, but there's still a long ways to go. 'I feel like my game has evolved over the past year. Obviously the speed is different. Guys in here want to win and I think I have that winning mentality. I just want to win games and I want to be here for them, be by their side when they win hockey games. That was kind of the most important thing for me is making that jump knowing the mentality is hockey, hockey, hockey. There's no school anymore. It's just hockey and you're here to win hockey games and that's it.' 'Everyone in here is so nice. Just meeting the guys already, it's such a tight-knit group of guys. It's cool to meet them and talk to guys on the ice. There's some Minnesota guys in here too so it's cool to connect with them. There's some college players too. It's just cool the connections you can start and create with guys in this locker room.' Advertisement Snuggerud, who chose No. 21; not out of a connection, but because, 'I just happened to look at the list and happened to choose 21. I'm kind of playing for what's on the front,' goes from playing for one title and jumping into a playoff race probably eases somewhat the sting of not accomplishing what he wanted when he went back to college. 'It's cool. You dream of it as a kid,' he said. 'You obviously still don't know yet. But I'm playing for everyone else in here. I'm here to win hockey games. Hopefully that's what I kind of entail on other guys. They're the hottest team in the NHL and I'm so lucky and grateful to be a part of it.'
