Snubbed by Team Canada, motivated Robert Thomas responds with three points vs. Flames

EDMONTON, Alberta Robert Thomas did not say it explicitly.

He didnt need to.

After a three-point night in the Blues 4-3 overtime win over the Flames on Thursday, Thomas was asked whether he had more energy or motivation the day after the Canadian national team was named for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Thomas, of course, was left off the squad.

Yeah, definitely some motivation, Thomas said.

Thats for sure.

Despite being one of Canadas most productive forwards across the last two seasons, Thomas was left off the roster, a decision influenced by his fractured ankle that he suffered in October that forced him to miss four weeks.

But in the first game after the announcement, Thomas provided whatever the Blues needed offensively.

In the first period, he tickled the inside of the post on the rush for his fourth goal of the season.

In the third period, his pass to Pavel Buchnevich on the back door gave the Blues a lead.

And then in overtime, Thomas received the puck from Dylan Holloway, drove wide around Flames forward Yegor Sharagovich and nearly tucked in the winner on the far post.

But Thomas play set up Colton Parayko to poke home the rebound to win for the fourth time in the last five games.

Anytime you can get the d-man standing flat-footed, Holly makes the play happen, Thomas said.

He drives it across the blue line.

Im coming behind him with a ton of speed.

They didnt have anyone gapped up on me, so I knew if I could make a fake and get around him, I had the speed to get to the back post.

It was the first three-point night of the season for Thomas, and the first by a Blues forward since Buchnevich in Vegas almost two months ago on Oct.

11.

I thought Thomas was the best player on the ice, Blues coach Jim Montgomery said.

He had a goal and two assists, kept making play after play.

Not only that hard play (in overtime), but it speaks to his ability and his skating ability and his strength to be able to take that puck to the two-hole we call it the two-hole but to the far post and create that goal when hes played 23 minutes already.

When Thomas was on the ice at 5 on 5, the Blues held advantages in shots on goal (9-6), scoring chances (8-7), high-danger chances (6-2), expected goals (0.97-0.7) and goals (2-0).

Even though Team Canada had already named Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby and Brayden Point to its roster in the summer, there could have been a role for Thomas in the bottom-six, with his general defensive responsibility, two-way play, penalty-killing experience and faceoff acumen.

In the last two seasons, Thomas is eighth among Canadian forwards with 1.04 points per game.

Ahead of him? McDavid, MacKinnon, Mitch Marner, Sam Reinhart, Point, Crosby and Mark Stone.

All of them made Team Canada.

Im sure hes naturally disappointed but hes a leader on our team, Montgomery said.

He wears an A, and he knew this was an important game for us to keep building on what were trying to do.

I thought he was really focused on playing the right way tonight and leading us that way.

A rare penalty Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was issued a minor penalty for delay of game when he played the puck outside the trapezoid behind the net.

Behind the goalline, goalies are not allowed to play the puck in the corners.

Binnington looked like he was trying to shield the puck away from Flames forward Kevin Rooney before he touched it with his goalie stick.

I dont know, Binnington said.

I kind of mishandled it to allow it to get (outside) the trapezoid.

I felt like their guy was coming.

Tried to just sneak a touch in there, was hoping the ref didnt see, but he saw it.

It was the first trapezoid penalty of the season, and the first since Edmontons Stuart Skinner was guilty of the infraction in Game 1 of the second round vs.

Vancouver.

Binnington racked up 36 saves, another impressive performance that came on the heels of his appointment to Team Canada.

In the last six games, Binnington has a .929 save percentage and 2.14 goals against average.

We had some money on the board, Binnington said, so I guess we were fighting hard to pay the boys.

Full tilt Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich was not eased back into action when he returned from a lower-body injury on Thursday night.

He missed two games, but then logged 20:22 of ice time vs.

the Flames.

I thought he looked great, Montgomery said.

He never once looked like his skating was hindering (him) or anything.

Made a lot of plays.

I played him 20 minutes because he was playing well.

Buchnevich had a goal and tied for the team high with four shots on goal, and six shot attempts.

The Blues held an optional practice on Friday afternoon in Edmonton, but defensemen Justin Faulk (upper-body) and Nick Leddy (lower-body) were two of the players on the ice.

More should be known about their statuses after St.

Louis holds a full morning skate Saturday morning..

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