The Montgomery effect: How the Blues are turning their season around with a new coach

The St.

Louis Blues were hours away from facing the Anaheim Ducks on Jan.

9 when Jim Montgomery stepped up on stage for his game-day press conference.

Instead of waiting for a question from the media, the 55-year-old coach, who had been on the job just 20 games, spoke up first.

The Blues are going to be ready to rock tonight, Montgomery said.

Advertisement Two nights earlier, Montgomery was as disappointed as Blues fans had seen him.

After leading the Minnesota Wild 4-2 and taking a 4-3 lead into the third period, they left with a 6-4 loss.

But there was no carry-over in Montgomerys message the morning of the Anaheim game.

ready 2 rock pic.twitter.com/3s7DTYypMj St.

Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) January 9, 2025 Indeed, the Blues came out rocking with four goals in the first 14 minutes of a 6-2 victory over the Ducks.

Its hard to know whats said inside an NHL locker room even harder to know what players hear but since Montgomery replaced Drew Bannister on Nov.

25, its been easy to notice the vibe the 2023 Jack Adams winner brings to the Blues.

Hes just been positive and upbeat, St.

Louis captain Brayden Schenn said.

He puts you in the right frame of mind coming to the rink.

Hes personable but hes demanding.

He threw a lot of information at us early, and it takes a little bit longer to grasp it, but its a fun place to be right now.

Guys are really enjoying it and embracing it.

The Blues have now played 44 games this season, and Bannister and Montgomery have each been on the bench for 22.

The team was 9-12-1 (.432 points percentage) before Bannister was fired and is 11-8-3 (.568) under Montgomery.

The Blues may still be a long shot to make the NHL playoffs, and Saturdays 2-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets was another example of why.

After the win over Anaheim, Montgomery said they would be rocking again, but they would have been shut out if not for a six-on-four goal with 12 seconds left in the game.

Itll be a challenge for Montgomery to get the Blues back in the postseason and also have an eye on the future.

But either way, building them up has to be the goal each day.

I was disappointed (after the Minnesota loss), Montgomery said.

I didnt think we relished and owned the big moment.

To me, thats an opportunity to grow, and thats where my excitement comes from.

OK, how are we going to take what we didnt do and apply it (against Anaheim) and continue it again? Advertisement Were looking to get 2 to 3 percent better every game.

Weve gotten better, but the consistency issue is something that we need to knock right through the door now.

Its time to be consistent and really have the urgency to be good every night.

Finding that consistency takes time, but the improved record under Montgomery (which is a playoff pace) and every underlying metric at both ends of the ice scream theyre on the right track.

Under his tutelage, this team looks good.

Under Bannister, the Blues looked like they were bound for the draft lottery with some of the weakest expected goal numbers at five-on-five and on special teams.

The team got the results they deserved, and while some players looked solid, the majority of the team struggled.

All that changed under Montgomery.

At five-on-five, the Blues have been a top-10 team and while theyre not getting the results theyre looking for on special teams, the underlying process is significantly stronger.

We are winning the net-front battle most games.

We are winning the odd-man rush battle most games.

Were winning the Grade-A chances most games.

So those things are going to drive results, Montgomery said.

Now, game management and special teams are the last two portions.

Those things drive consistency.

Some of the difference between the Blues under Bannister and Montgomery is a result of the team missing two key players, Robert Thomas and Philip Broberg , for extended stretches as well as the addition of Cam Fowler .

Still, the stark change almost every other player has gone through going from Bannister to Montgomery points squarely back to coaching.

Montgomery has been able to squeeze a lot more out of this group, turning back the clock on many veterans and finding ways to help some young players break through.

While some players have still struggled, the teams key cogs have all looked like difference-makers again.

Thats the Montgomery effect, and its exactly why St.

Louis wasted no time hiring him when he became available.

He doesnt just move the needle; he swings it.

Digging a bit deeper, heres whats noticeably changed under Montgomery.

Parayko living up to his reputation Over the past few years, one of the biggest disconnects between the eye test and analytics has been Colton Parayko .

He passed the eye test with flying colors but rarely had the results to match even after accounting for his difficult usage.

Both sides had a point.

Parayko is an extremely talented player and Paraykos on-ice results arent flattering to his talent level can both be simultaneously true.

Essentially, the Blues should have been getting more out of their minutes with a player as good as Parayko.

Sometimes it takes a new voice to spark that, and under Montgomery, theres been absolutely no disconnect.

Parayko has looked great and finally has the results to match.

On a per-82-game basis, Paraykos Net Rating with Bannister was minus-6.9.

Under Montgomery, its jumped to plus-12.7 easily No.

1 defenseman caliber.

Under Bannister, the Blues earned 42 percent of expected goals with Parayko on the ice.

Under Montgomery, hes at 51 percent, a genuinely strong number given the difficulty of Paraykos minutes.

The Blues are massively outscoring opponents with him on the ice now, too.

Advertisement Of course, thats not all on Montgomery.

The addition of Fowler has also been vital to Paraykos resurgence as it finally gave Parayko a true puck-mover to play with, easing his burden considerably.

The two have been a perfect fit, allowing both to focus on their strengths while letting their partner cover for their weaknesses.

But even Fowler has found new life in St.

Louis after struggling mightily in Anaheim the past two years.

Joining a team with a coach who has a strong grasp of how to properly utilize his defensemen plays a big role.

Parayko is a legit No.

1 defenseman, and with the help of Montgomery and his new partner, he now has the results to back it up.

A much stronger defense all around Its not just Parayko showing improvement; an across-the-board shift has the Blues going back to their roots as a very difficult team to score against.

Under Bannister, the team allowed 2.60 expected goals against per 60 at five-on-five.

Under Montgomery, the team has cut that down to 2.18, one of the best marks in the league.

That wouldve been previously unfathomable given the teams personnel on the back end, but the teams key defenders have all cleaned things up considerably.

Broberg has been a revelation and the Blues are also getting more out of Justin Faulk and Ryan Suter .

It leads to more offense, but it starts without the puck from the net out.

Defending better, playing the right way, working hard, coming up with puck battles thats how you score goals in this league, Schenn said.

I feel like were doing a lot of good things away from the puck thats resulting in scoring goals.

That work ethic without the puck makes things easier on the teams goaltending, and its no surprise a team that allowed more goals than expected is now surrendering fewer with more attention to detail.

Still, its a work in progress; a defensive contender isnt built overnight and there are a lot of bad habits to undo.

Advertisement The last couple of games weve given up more goals, but weve been giving up a lot more slot chances.

Weve been giving up a lot more east-west chances, Montgomery said.

Thats up to the team to be better so that they can be more confident in their crease.

We need to make sure were better off the rush and tightening up the house in D-zone coverage so that we can allow (the goalies) to be great like theyve been.

A strong defense with a locked-in Jordan Binnington can be a real threat in the West.

The Blues have looked the part at points under Montgomery now they have to bring it on a nightly basis.

Schenn leading by example A good coach and a good captain go hand-in-hand.

One of the most impressive changes under Montgomery is how much more productive Schenn has been on a nightly basis.

Under Bannister, Schenn scored at just a 34-point pace and didnt look like a player who could push the pace of play anymore, especially not in a top-six role.

Schenn earned just 43 percent of the expected goals, a mark consistent with last seasons downturn.

At 33, it was fair to question whether Schenn was in the midst of a fall-off he couldnt recover from.

Under Montgomery, Schenn has looked more like himself again.

His expected goal rate is up to 56 percent, and the team is outscoring opponents by a similar margin.

And hes scoring at a 60-point pace, a fantastic mark for someone not on the top power play.

Suddenly, Schenn looks like a capable second-line center again.

The key change? Finding the right linemates to get Schenn going.

Montgomery struck lightning with a new-look second line that has Jordan Kyrou and Dylan Holloway flanking Schenn.

The trio has been electric, earning 62 percent of expected goals and outscoring opponents 10-5 in 175 minutes together.

Being on the right side of the puck, managing the game, Schenn said.

Those guys are very talented and have a lot of speed, and theyre doing a good job of making the play when its there and when its not not being afraid to go and get it.

They see the ice extremely well, and were getting lots of chances each night just by reading off each other.

Advertisement The three of them enjoy playing with each other and theres chemistry there, Montgomery said.

Schenn is doing all the little things that allow the other two (to do what they do).

Hes the glue guy on the line.

Finding effective contributions after Robert Thomas line was a challenge last season and this year under Bannister.

Under Montgomery, theyre helping drive the bus in a big way.

Holloway emerges as a difference-maker We cant talk about Schenn without talking about the driver of that second line: the surprising Dylan Holloway.

Montgomerys words, not ours.

Holly was the unknown, but hes become the possession guy, the guy that drives the line.

Thats a 200-foot player, Montgomery said.

Holloway was a savvy addition via offer sheet in the summer.

At the very least, he had the makings of a dependable two-way middle-six winger with potential for more.

At $2.29 million (and a third-round pick), Holloway already looked like a steal for what he showed in Edmonton.

Now? He might be the best deal this season.

Since Montgomery came to town, no player on the Blues has added more value than Holloways plus-6.3 Net Rating, a plus-24 pace.

Thats elite-forward good, a mark generally only matched by the leagues very best.

With 24 points in 22 games, Holloway has scored at a 90-point pace and has had the substance to match.

He leads the team with a 63 percent expected-goals rate, six percentage points higher than the next-best Blues player, Pavel Buchnevich (who has also seen a decent uptick under Montgomery).

Holloway has been on another level and is showing hes not just a true top-line talent but a potential core piece on a playoff team if he can keep this up.

Its possible the 23-year-old wouldve broken out eventually with the talent he has, but its also probably no coincidence hes fully unlocked it under Montgomery.

Having full belief and the confidence of your coach matters.

Advertisement I didnt know he was this good, Montgomery said.

This is a complete hockey player, and the three of them together, now you have the makings of a line that can be really good in this league.

Holloway has exploded since being put with Schenn and Kyrou over the last 11 games.

His expected-goals rate has jumped to 69 percent during that stretch, and he has 13 points, both of which lead the team.

Holloway credits a lot of that to his linemates.

I think all three of us complement each other really well, Holloway said.

Youve got Schenner, whos just a great two-way centerman and locks it down for us in the D-zone.

(Kyrou) can fly and hes so good with the puck.

Were always talking on the bench and off the ice, too.

Were just trying to get dialed in and play the best we can.

Finding the right mix for a line is a skill and Montgomery struck gold.

Its more than likely the Blues will not make the playoffs this season.

They have a chance, especially with how theyve played under Montgomery, but the hill to climb may be too steep.

Were playing good hockey, but you have to capitalize when youre up in games and you cant let points slip, especially this time of year when youre trying to chase teams, Schenn said.

(But) we feel like were playing really good hockey.

Whether they make the playoffs or not, its clear what theyre building under Montgomery is setting the team up well not just to salvage this season, but for the future.

I just think guys are learning a lot, Schenn said.

Monty communicates with his players, and hes detailed.

He wants guys to play a certain way within the system, but at the same time, he lets guys play with their skill.

Hell let you know when hes not happy with it and thats the best part about him.

Guys respect it because the next day he comes to the rink and asks you how youre doing.

Hes not avoiding you.

Those are coaches you want to play for, and we are definitely enjoying learning from him.

The Blues are playing like a brand-new team and getting better, but still have some issues that Montgomery is zeroed in on.

He wants to get the team rocking on a more regular basis.

(Photo of Jim Montgomery behind the Blues bench: Sarah Stier / Getty Images).

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