ST. LOUIS — On Sunday night, the St. Louis Blues came out swinging against the New York Rangers, scoring three goals in the first two periods courtesy of Pavel Buchnevich in the first, followed by Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas hitting the back of the net in the second.
The win added a game-changing weekend for the Note as the team acquired all-star defenseman Cam Fowler on Saturday.
Admittedly, a hockey shift is usually pretty quick, lasting about 40 seconds for a line or player to go onto the ice. Yet, Fowler put even the fastest of shifts to shame on Saturday. He woke up in Columbus, hopped on a flight and was in his new Blues uniform to take on Dallas that night.
"Talking with the coaching staff, they wanted me to come in and meet everyone," Fowler said on the day he was traded.
Fowler said, "There was urgency on my end to come here and be a part of the team and get things going as fast as I could."
In Anaheim for 14 years, Fowler was the Ducks' franchise top-scoring defenseman.
"We're built on defense," Blues fan Mike Dawid from Edwardsville said about the trade.
"You go back to the '80s, this is a bruiser-type city," Dawid said. "We're not soft. We're tough. This is St. Louie, baby."
However, it's not just the changes on defense that are helping the Blues change their tune. Having a no-nonsense coach like Jim Montgomery has certainly started to make the difference considering Sunday's 3-2 victory.
"Our habits need to be more consistent," Montgomery said ahead of Sunday's game. "With the lack of practice time right now, you rely on video to teach. Players got to be able to grab that and then go out and execute the habits. Like stopping and starting, as simple as that may seem it's not that simple when you're playing a lot of games, three or four nights whatever it is with travel."
Many fans are optimistic with what they've seen from Montgomery this season in his first 10 games behind the bench.
"I think the team has made a change," said Wayne Matthews, a Blues fan from St. Peters. "Before they seemed like they were undisciplined. Now, they're moving together as a team instead of as individuals."
On the subject of team spirit and the impact the Blues fandom has on people's everyday lives, Wayne's wife of 15 years Jolyn Matthews said, "You always see people, who will wear Blues hats, will wear Blues sweatshirts and everywhere we go, 'You're a Blues fan? So are we.'"
"It's everywhere," Jolyn said. "It's not just here."
The Blues take on the New Jersey Devils next. That game is Tuesday at Enterprise Center, with a 7 p.m. puck drop.
