Blues emphasize good start as they begin season in Dallas

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - There’s plenty of reminders at the St. Louis Blues practice facility that it was just a few short years ago the Blues won the Stanley Cup. That journey back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins on Thursday in Dallas versus the Stars, and the guys in the locker room say it’s important to set the tone in game one and get off to a good start.

“You don’t want to get behind the eight ball early on in the season. You can kind of put these wins away in the long run and you want to get off to a hot start. A, for your confidence and B, feel good coming to the rink every day,” said Blues forward Kevin Hayes.

“First five to ten games really set the tone for the season. In years past, we’ve always had good starts and it’s led to lots of success,” said Blues forward Robert Thomas.

On offense, three of the four points leaders from last season will team up on the top line: Pavel Buchnevich, Jordan Kyrou, and Robert Thomas.

“Thomas and Kyrou have always clicked at some point. I think Buchnevic provides a real two-way player on that line,” said Blues head coach Craig Berube.

“We’ve really come together as a line and have to get off to a good start,” Thomas added.

On defense, the team returns a core four of players. A position that Coach Berube says he’s put an emphasis on this preseason.

“You have to play good defense to be successful in this league,” Berube said. “That’s a big part of our camp this year was focusing on work ethic and defense, and we have to carry it over to the season.”

With a few new faces and a solid group of returners, the team is looking to create that winning culture in St. Louis once again.

“It’s important with the amount of change we’ve had the last five years that we stick with that identity that’s won and that feeling in the room that comes with success,” Thomas said. “I think that’s so important and something that we’ve really harped on this year especially.”

Fans won’t have to wait long to see the 2023-24 Blues in action at Enterprise Center as they return to St. Louis for their home opener on Saturday, which is the start of a three-game homestand.

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