You don’t have to be a diehard hockey fan to notice that there has been a rash of suspensions for dirty play and questionable hits in the NHL lately. Most notably in the Dec 7th meeting between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, in which Pens forward James Neal was suspended 5 games for a knee to the head of Brad Marchand and Bruin Shawn Thornton earned a 15 game suspension after he jumped Brooks Orpik and hit him while he was down, sending him to the hospital with concussion-like symptoms. Last night’s Capitals/Flyers game will likely result in the suspension of Capital Tom Wilson, for his reckless hit on Brayden Schenn, who also left the game injured. If Wilson is suspended, he’ll be the 10th NHL player to sit in the month of December alone. So how do the Blues, who are easily one of the hardest hitting teams in the NHL, deliver such punishment on their opponents without receiving punishment from the League?
A lot of it starts with leadership, and that’s where David Backes shines. Backes isn’t the flashiest captain the Blues have had, nor is he the most talented, but he makes up for all of that in character and integrity. He not only demands those traits of himself, but of his teammates as well. Backes is a strong leader off the ice, spending lots of time improving the community in St. Louis, as well as mentoring the younger players in the locker room. Backes was stellar for Team USA in 2010, embodying the American spirit of grit and drive and helping push the team to a Silver medal in a close game against Canada. On the ice, he drives the team to play the body, but to keep it within the boundaries. Backes was recently injured, and missed his first game in 274 consecutive appearances.
There is no question that the St. Louis Blues are a physical team. Anyone who watched last season’s playoff series against Los Angeles will tell you it was the roughest matchup in the first round. Especially the games under the metal roofing of Scottrade Center. The two teams went full bore at each other, delivering crushing hits in every game, but managed to keep in clean. In fact, the Blues have only had one player receive supplementary discipline this season, as Maxime Lapierre received 5 games for his hit on Sharks’ Dan Boyle on Oct 15.
In the brutal Western Conference, the Blues have to fight for every point they gain in the standings, and a soft team isn’t going to go anywhere. They sit in 2nd behind Chicago in the Central, and are tied for 4th in total points with San Jose, who just swept the Blues in the season series. As the playoffs inch closer, keep an eye on the Blues’ heavy hitters; they will be in full pummel mode, while attempting to stay within the rules. St. Louis has a serious shot at going deep in the playoffs, and it would be a shame for them to mar their reputation with dirty play.
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Scott Huntington is a writer, reporter, blogger, and long-time hockey fan. When he’s not watching hockey, he’s doing research for 12 Keys Rehab or spending time outside with his family. He’ll be posting his thoughts on the St. Louis Blues throughout the season. Follow Scott at @SMHuntington
