GDT #29: Blues vs Senators 7:00 CT Bally Sports, 101ESPN

[theohall]

BLUES After falling 6-4 to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night, the St. Louis Blues made a big change behind the bench. Head Coach Craig Berube was relieved of his coaching duties and General Manager Doug Armstrong named Drew Bannister interim head coach. Bannister has spent the last three seasons as head coach of the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds, including a run to the Calder Cup Final in 2021-22.

"What we want to stress as we're going through whatever we're going through is a level of compete and a level of accountability," said Armstrong at a press conference Wednesday morning. "Starting with Drew (Bannister) tomorrow night, that's his mandate: accountability and compete."

Tuesday's back-and-forth game showed a continuation of the Blues' major growth areas this season - their defense and power-play efforts. After going 0-for-3 against Detroit, the Blues are 0-for their last 16 power play opportunities and rank 31st on the season at 8.4%. On the other side of special teams, however, the Blues were able to score their NHL-leading eighth shorthanded goal of the season.

Bannister is expected to arrive in St. Louis on Wednesday and make his NHL head coaching debut on Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators. The Blues are hoping that a new voice behind the bench can help them bounce back from a season-long four-game losing streak.

Thursday marks the second of three straight home games, continuing on Saturday against Dallas before a two-game trip to Florida.

The Blues host Vladimir Tarasenko and the Senators with a 13-14-1 record, worth 27 points and sixth in the Central Division.

SENATORS The Ottawa Senators are still looking to establish identity and winning habits, struggling on the season but are winners of three out of their last four games.

After goals from five different Senators - including two on the power play - drove home an eventful 5-1 win over Detroit last week, Ottawa fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in their last game on Tuesday. Josh Norris opened the scoring for the Senators with his seventh goal of the year, but Carolina scored four unanswered through two periods to win 4-1 in Ottawa.

Tim Stutzle hopes to build off his breakout last season, scoring 90 points in 78 games, as he leads the Senators with 26 points in the early going this year. Following his contributions are veteran Claude Giroux, Drake Batherson and two names familiar to Blues fans - Brady Tkachuk and Vladimir Tarasenko. Tarasenko signed a one-year contract with Ottawa after his trade to the Rangers last season, and Tkachuk leads the Seantors with 13 goals.

Ottawa's trip to St. Louis marks the beginning of a five-game road trip, their first of two such trips over the next month. The Senators continue on to Dallas, Vegas, Arizona and Colorado as they journey around the Central Division.

The Senators visit Enterprise Center with a record of 11-12-0, worth 22 points and eighth in the Atlantic Division.

HEAD TO HEAD The Blues went 1-1-0 against Ottawa last season, with each team recording a win at home. They are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games against the Senators and 3-1-0 in their last four matchups at Enterprise Center.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Kevin Hayes, who scored a pair of goals 31 seconds apart in Tuesday's loss to Detroit. The two quick tallies marked the fourth fastest two goals by the same player in the NHL this season, the second of which marked point No. 400 in his NHL career.

SENATORS Vladimir Tarasenko, playing his second game back in St. Louis since his trade from the Blues last February. Tarasenko, who joined the Senators on a one-year deal this offseason, has six goals and 13 assists for 19 points with his new club.

BLUE NOTES
Interim Head Coach Drew Bannister has spent the last three seasons as Head Coach of the Springfield Thunderbirds, leading them to a 93-58-19 regular-season record and leading them to the Calder Cup Finals in 2021-22. Bannister previously served as Head Coach of the Soo Greyhounds (OHL) from 2015-16 to 2017-18, as well as the Head Coach of the San Antonio Rampage (AHL) from 2018-19 to 2019-20

Tuesday's loss was the first time all season the Blues fell after scoring the first goal of the game, now 12-1-0 in such games. Their 12 wins when scoring first shares fifth in the NHL

The Blues are 5-2-0 against the Eastern Conference this season, including a 3-1-0 record against Ottawa's Atlantic Division

The Blues have scored 3.50 goals per game at home this season, which shares 10th in the NHL

Vladimir Tarasenko spent 11 seasons in St. Louis, where he played 644 games and posted 262 goals, 291 points and 553 total points. Tarasenko, traded to the New York Rangers ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline, ranks fifth on the franchise all-time leaderboard in goals and points

[glen a richter]

Same personnel on the ice, Bannister won't be a miracle maker. Go through the motions, get a top 10 pick in the draft, move whatever pieces you can move and hire a coach who's got more of an offensive mind and less of a hit and grind mind. The players who aren't going anywhere aren't going to thrive unless they get to free wheel it out there. Maybe Gerard Gallant is the right guy, high octane offense with no accountability, go to the playoffs and lose, rinse, repeat until they get tired of the playoff losses and hire someone who expects more structure.

Senators - 5
Blues - 3

[theohall]

NHL Radio was talking about some comments Kyrou supposedly made regarding Berube, but I can't find them anywhere. IMO, if whatever Kyrou supposedly said led to this firing, it's completely moronic. Kyrou is flat out lazy when it comes to having to battle for a puck anywhere along the boards... open ice, he's fine. Along the boards, he is flat out the Blues worst player in both zones. I would've rather seen them move on from the laziest, even though the fastest, player on the team than fire the head coach.

One thing I could see changing since Bannister coached Perunovich in Springfield is Perunovich getting more of an opportunity, instead of this constantly trotting out Krug on the power play when the power play absolutely sucks with him running it.

[theohall]

If the Senators were capable of taking advantage of turnovers, Kyrou would be -2 in the first period... solely because of his flat out inability to handle board battles.

[theohall]

While the Blues have changed coaches, and supposedly Kyrou said crap in relation to Berube and his coaching style, Kyrou's inability to win a board battle against anyone - not even a toddler - is still painfully evident. We'll see if it changes over the next few games. If I'm Kyrou's current GM, I'm finding a way to unload that contract, because his style of play will flat out NOT WORK in the playoffs. Of course, all the other GMs can see this, so the Blues need to find a sucker - like say San Jose...

Bottom line, the Blues move him this year or next, or he gets control when a full NTC kicks in... I'm just sick of his lack of work ethic any time he's flipping challenged. As long as he gets space - he's great... Take away his space, he's a 100% liability.

[theohall]

And Kyrou's "willingness" to fight for pucks didn't change at all tonight. Kyrou's sole assist is from work Thomas and Buchnevich did to set up the opportunity for the give-and-go... And no one was challenging Kyrou at all... so he didn't have to fight for possession on that play at all.

[Portland Blues]

I saw a couple headlines mentioning a "tearful Kyrou" speaking after the game. It sounds like he was booed a few times last night.

[glen a richter]

I’d argue Kyrou bears the bulk of the responsibility for Berube losing his job. Will Army have the sack to trade him or expect Bannister/whoever the next coach is to make lemonade out of this guy?

[goon attack]

Wtf did that malaka Kyrou say? He's an embarrassment to Greeks everywhere!

But hey, a W is a W... BANNISSTERR FOR THE ADAMS TROPHY DO IT LEERY

[theohall]

So what Kyrou said, after the morning skate yesterday morning JR asked:

JR: There's so much out there about the relationship between you and Berube. Is there anything you would want to say about that?

Kyrou: I've got no comment. He's not my coach anymore.

Which got everyone up in arms.