Brandon Saad and the penalty-kill's turnaround
One of the biggest improvement areas for the Blues this season has been on the penalty kill. After finishing last season with the No. 5 PK in the NHL (84.1 percent), the Blues started out as the last-place shorthanded team this year. From the start of the season through Dec. 8 (27 games), the Blues' 63.8 percent would have been the worst in recorded franchise history had it held for the season. In their 25 games since Dec. 11, however, the Blues have been No. 3 in the League with 84.7 percent on the PK.
Brandon Saad's increased role on the PK has helped turn the Blues' shorthanded time from a liability into an asset. In those first 27 games, Saad saw just 11:56 of shorthanded ice time in total - No. 10 amongst Blues forwards. In the 25 games since then, Saad has been No. 2 in ice time, with two shorthanded goals and has only been on the ice for only a single opposing power-play goal.
Saad has increased his production outside of the PK as well. Fifteen of Saad's 22 points on the season have come in the 25 games since Dec. 11.