BY DERRICK GOOLD
Of the Post-Dispatch

EDMONTON, Alberta - Quietly claiming the second-most minutes on the Blues' defense and finally comfortable after a battle to get his girlfriend across the Atlantic, Alexander Khavanov is doing more than just holding on to his spot this season.

The Russian blue-liner took a three-game assist streak into Friday's game at Edmonton and he's a part of all the Blues units: Serving on the point of the second power play, gobbling minutes at even strength and improving as a penalty-killer.

Trust, he said, is the difference.

"When you're trusted by your team, by your coach, that's where the confidence comes from," said Khavanov, who had a goal and five assists entering Friday's game. "I feel like I'm trusted to go out and play my game, not just go out and think about how not to hurt the team.

"If you feel like you're just filling up an empty spot, you pay more attention to not doing anything wrong. You make sure you don't anything wrong instead of going out and making things happen."

Khavanov was out for the Blues' first penalty-killing shift Friday, and he's part of the second power-play unit. In total, he's nearing 20 minutes of ice time a night, hardly the minutes of someone filling up a spot. But, in a way, he is.

Khavanov also slipped in his sophomore season and the Blues needed him to accelerate his skills to help offset the loss of Chris Pronger. Last season, Khavanov was separated from Pronger, his partner two seasons ago, and he also had off-ice concerns.

The U.S. government was making it difficult - and threatening to make it impossible - for his girlfriend to visit America. Eventually, she gained passage and has since moved to St. Louis with Khavanov. It's allowed him, he said, to come to the rink without being clouded with concern.

"He seems to be a little more relaxed," coach Joel Quenneville said, "and we're seeing the type of player we expect from him.