Blues' Robert Thomas opens up on his offensive slump: 'In the suffering comes passion'

ST.

LOUIS In Utah last weekend, St.

Louis Blues coach Jim Montgomery benched linemates Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich .

He followed that up by separating the two for the next game against the Vegas Golden Knights and the start of the teams rematch Thursday night.

But Montgomery couldnt hold out any longer, finally reuniting them in the middle of the first period Thursday.

Advertisement I put them back together just because we need that line to develop the chemistry the (Brayden) Schenn line has so that we can be really dynamic offensively, Montgomery said.

It just hasnt materialized.

Thomas did score late in the game, but it was a six-on-five goal that provided the Blues with just a little bit of respite before Vegas added an empty-net goal for a 4-2 victory.

The teams performance on the whole Thursday didnt warrant a win the offense had just eight shots on goal through two periods but the club isnt going anywhere unless Thomas and Buchnevich can find their offense.

From Dec.

3 to Jan.

9, Thomas had nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points, which was the 10th-most points in the NHL in that stretch behind Colorado s Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen , Edmontons Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid , Tampa Bay s Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov , Winnipeg s Kyle Connor , Toronto s Mitch Marner and Columbus Zach Werenski .

But in Thomas last six games, he has just one goal the six-on-five goal Thursday and two assists.

When you couple that with Buchnevich, who has no goals and two assists with one of those assists coming on Thomas six-on-five goal Thursday, you have two of your top offensive players slumping at a critical point in the season.

Right place, right time for RT.

#stlblues pic.twitter.com/ulQz4z8amZ St.

Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) January 24, 2025 Remember those two critical wins over the Calgary Flames last week? Well, the Flames have won two games in a row and are back to 3 points ahead of the Blues with three games in hand.

Asked after Thursdays loss how he and his line have played lately, Thomas replied: Not great.

Obviously, were struggling to find ways to produce.

Its led into your whole game, so youve just got to find a way to start piecing back together and get confident.

I feel like weve made some steps.

But weve just got to find a way to play better and play the way we can.

Advertisement From the time Buchnevich arrived in St.

Louis in 2021-22 through last season, Thomas and Buchnevich played 204 games together and shared nearly 1,700 minutes of five-on-five ice time.

In that time, they were on the ice for 104 goals together and just 70 against, according to Natural Stat Trick .

This season, Thomas and Buchnevich have spent less time on the same line because the Blues opened the season with them as the top two centers on the depth chart.

It wasnt until mid-November that Buchnevich was switched back to the wing and saw more time with Thomas.

But in that limited action, the results have still been positive.

In 35 games covering nearly 360 minutes of five-on-five play, theyve been on the ice for 20 goals together and 13 against, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Why, however, hasnt it worked lately? A bunch of things, Thomas said.

When you kind of get out of it and arent playing well, the other areas of your game tend to be different.

Were searching for offense, and its just not coming right now.

So got to find a way to bear down and make the game a little bit simpler and well get out of it.

We always have.

Whenever youre struggling, you always find a way to get out of it.

Montgomery echoed nearly the exact sentiment.

I just think that when youre gifted offensive players like they are, when the offense isnt coming, your work habits and consistency, they deteriorate because youre searching for offense, he said.

Ive seen it over and over.

It doesnt matter what player they are in the league, when they go through a slump, they kind of lose their work ethic.

Its something that weve got to get back to.

Yes, six games is a small sample, but in that time weve seen Montgomery not only bench Thomas and Buchnevich but also offer some sharp criticism.

He said after the 4-2 loss in Utah that he was going with the players who he thought were trying to get (the job) done.

He bluntly added before the Vegas game Monday that he felt the need to balance his lines with a worker on each unit.

Advertisement After being reunited Thursday and having another poor showing, what does Montgomery do next, other than ride it out and hope they produce? He was asked whether breaking up the Blues best line of Dylan Holloway , Schenn and Jordan Kyrou to spark something with the other offensive players was an option being considered.

That line scored again Thursday and continues to stay red-hot.

In 49 games and 235 minutes at five-on-five together this season, theyve been on the ice for 15 goals for and just six goals against.

Its hard to break up a line thats scoring every game, Montgomery responded.

I think the rest of our lineup has to raise their level to the level that, that line is playing at.

Including Thomas goal Thursday, hes sitting on 12 this season along with 24 assists for 36 points.

Noting that hes missed 12 games with a fractured ankle, hes on pace for 22 goals and 68 points in 70 games.

Thats just four goals short of Thomas goal total (26) in 82 games last season, and though its 18 points shy of last years point total (86), its still nearly a point-per-game point pace.

Yet it doesnt feel that productive at the moment.

Its a mental game, Thomas said.You know, in the suffering comes passion.

Theres a lot of passion, and were going to find a way to get out of it.

(Photo: Jeff Roberson / Associated Press).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.