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Blues' bruising Barbashev is the X-factor on first-place club. 3 января 2022 года. Timmermann, Tom. St. Louis Post - Dispatch; St. Louis, Mo. Ivan Barbashev is a Cam-and-Leon chameleon -- one minute he hits like the former Blue Janssen, the next minute he scores like the former MVP Draisaitl. The versatile Barbashev is good enough to play on the power play, and he kills it on the penalty-killing unit. He's been on one of the top lines, and he's been on the fourth line, where he played in Saturday's Winter Classic -- and where he made history in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. Quite simply, Barbashev is the St. Louis X-factor this season and a reason the Blues are in first place on January 3, the now-notable day on the schedule, from 2019, when they were in last place. Where would the Blues be without "Barby?" Probably not atop the Central Division. That's how much of an impact he makes. Yet there's apprehension for appreciation -- why don't the casual fans love him more? He should be adored for his play on the boards and the goals he's scored. On the radio calls, broadcasters Chris Kerber and Joey Vitale have a running bit about how they're trying their best to sell more Barbashev sweaters. Maybe after his 2021, more stores will have them in 2022. "It's time for the league to start recognizing him as an elite hockey player," said Vitale, a five-year National Hockey League player, by phone Sunday. "Name any area of the game, and he can do it. And do it at a very high-level." Barbashev is fourth in points on the Blues this season -- his 27 trail only Pavel Buchnevich (30), Jordan Kyrou (32) and Vladimir Tarasenko (33). Only Tarasenko (14) has more goals than Barbashev's 12, but "Barby" has been mighty efficient with his shots. For the year, he's taken 52 shots on goal, so that gives him a 23.1% shooting percentage. That's best of Blues regulars. In fact, check out these facts. Of players in the league who have played at least 25 games, Barbashev is seventh in the entire NHL in shooting percentage. He's just below the great Draisaitl, who entered Sunday at 23.8%. Oh, and Barbashev leads the Blues with 54 hits (though that is tied for 90th in the NHL, because the Blues don't bruise dudes as much as other clubs). The Blues' general manager generally manages this team with precision -- and this summer, frankly, might've been Doug Armstrong's best offseason. OK, the summer he got Ryan O'Reilly for an order of toasted ravs was pretty impressive. But let's look at 2021. First, it featured the acquisitions of Buchnevich and Brandon Saad. Then came the Colton Parayko re-signing -- incidentally, did you see Parayko blocked six shots in the Winter Classic? But perhaps Armstrong's most-shrewd moves were holding onto Vladimir Tarasenko, despite a trade demand, and holding onto Barbashev, who could've been dispensable in the expansion draft. Armstrong could see what we're now all seeing. So, a data scientist named Alex Gable shared some insight on Sunday, explaining Barbashev's impact by using data and graphs from hockeyviz.com. Gable pointed out that more ice time correlates with Barbashev's production gain, based on a "revival" in finishing ability, and increase in shot rate in high-danger areas -- and power-play usage. He's also converting better from the high slot. Playing on a line with Buchnevich helps because he makes "Barby" and the line "significantly better" defensively. But that's the thing -- when the Blues are healthy, what line should Barbashev be on? Playing with fellow Russians Tarasenko and Buchnevich worked well, but in the past two games coach Craig Berube has deployed different units. In the Winter Classic against Minnesota, all three were on different lines, with "Barby" returning to his roots on the fourth line. But later in the game, he was on ice with two other Russians -- Buchnevich and Klim Kostin, and that's when "Barby" assisted on a goal scored by defenseman Torey Krug. Barbashev's goal in the Winter Classic came courtesy of Jordan Kyrou's pass on a power play. For now, if Barbashev is going to produce regardless of linemates, it's best to have him on the third or fourth line. That might cut into ice time some. But it just makes those lines that much better. And as we know from 2019, when you're four lines deep, there's continuity and inner-competition. And of all the compliments this season, perhaps the best was when Berube put "Barby" on an "identity line." That's what the coach called it. It was Barbashev, Saad and Oskar Sundqvist, who clearly is one of Berube's favorite Blues. "This line is going to do the right things -- check hard, play hard, be physical, hard on the other team," Berube said. "Play against anybody." That line no longer is a line -- Saad is playing up with captain Ryan O'Reilly as well as David Perron -- but the guys epitomize the identity of a Berube hockey team. And that team is in first place. |
 Страничка Ивана Барбашева на сайте "Звёзды с Востока"
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