Can Saad, Hayes, Kapanen continue recent trend of driving play, impacting results? That's the big question for Blues as they look for secondary scoring

The line followed up a three-goal, four-assist performance Monday in a 5-1 win against the Boston Bruins with only one goal on Wednesday (Saad's 20th of the season), but their impact was noticeable, and Blues interim coach Drew Bannister awarded them with more ice time in a game the Blues (34-29-3) had to have.

"That's two real good games for them," Bannister said after the game Wednesday. "They're playing with confidence and obviously in the Boston game, they were probably the best line on the ice. Again today, I thought they were real good for us. They're difference-makers when they're on their game. It can free up some of our other players, but we're getting scoring from our second through fourth lines and that's important for our team to have success here moving forward."

Saad has been bouncing up and down the lineup but in reaching 20 goals for the seventh time in his NHL career, he has a goal in three of the past four games and seven in 14.

His goal was a beauty redirection of Colton Parayko's feed from the right point down near the goal line to the left of Kings goalie Cam Talbot.

"He's done it on the power play, that little chip shot," Bannister said. "A 'Crosby' we call it. It's a skill play, but it's a dangerous play because it's hard for goalies to be able to react to it, but it's a very skilled play."

Prior to the Boston game, Hayes' minutes slipped to under 12 per game in four of the previous five games and there were stretches where the center was parked on the bench, and for Kapanen, who had a goal and two assists in Boston, he played just 8:48 on Feb. 24 in Detroit, 9:22 on Feb. 27 at Winnipeg before being made a healthy scratch Feb. 28 at Edmonton.

Saad has played 15:06 and 15:24 the past two games; Hayes had skated 13:04 and 17:09, the most he's played since Jan. 6 at Carolina (17:57) the past two games, and Kapanen has gone 14:32, 15:40 and 16:01 the past three games.

So needless to say, the trio has found some positive light here despite their Corsi numbers (9-12, 9-10 against the past two games according to naturalstattrick.com) not matching the results, but for the Blues, that seems to be the norm.

"Yeah, I thought our line played well again here tonight," Hayes said after Wednesday's game. "When you're playing that team and they're in that 1-3-1, you've got to make sure you limit the turnovers and get pucks deep. I thought we did that.

"... I think just confidence honestly. We had a good game in Boston. Kind of happy with our games and I think our game is kind of correlating with one another."

It goes without saying that part of the Blues' secret has been secondary scoring and not relying on the likes of Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou when that trio is put together on one line, which hasn't been the case the past two games.

Jake Neighbours (21 goals), Alexey Toropchenko (13 goals) provided more secondary scoring Wednesday when each scored. Zachary Bolduc had his hands on the game Wednesday. Good signs if, and if is stressed, it's sustainable. 

"If you can get scoring through your whole lineup, you give yourself a chance to win and certainly right now, the way some of our guys are able to score in those roles right now, and guys like Kyrou and Thomas and Buchnevich, they're going to get their opportunities and they're going to score," Bannister said. "Right now, those other cast of players for us are creating opportunities and they're able to score. That's the one thing, they're doing the right things to get the opportunities right now. They're getting the puck to the interior, they're getting to the net and they're getting rewarded for it. That's a confidence builder in itself. When they're doing the right things and they're getting rewarded, they're going to continue to do it."