The Blues have mastered the middle of the ice, but need to push the attack

Justin Bonhard of Bleedin' Blue argues that while the St. Louis Blues lead the NHL in neutral zone possession, the team urgently needs to push their attack into the offensive zone. According to NHL EDGE data, the Blues rank first across the league with 18.8% neutral zone time, outpacing clubs like Carolina and Colorado. However, Bonhard emphasizes that this control has not generated enough forward momentum for their skilled top six.

Bonhard highlights that the Blues currently rank 19th in offensive zone time at 40.1% and sit 22nd in total skating distance. To solve their offensive inconsistency, the writer suggests the Blues must adopt a direct north-south approach by aggressively skating the puck forward into the offensive zone to sustain attacking pressure.