Multiple factors contribute to the St. Louis Blues being in the thick of the Stanley Cup Playoff chase. Newcomers Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, and Cam Fowler have contributed on offence alongside the usual contributors. Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer have been strong between the pipes. Of course, the influence of new head coach Jim Montgomery has helped tremendously. However, there is one factor that has flown under the radar. That is the contributions of fourth liner Nathan Walker.
Nathan Walker Providing Grit and Spark
Walker has played in a career-high 58 (59 after Sunday) games this season. Prior to this season, Walker had only played in more than 50 games once. His increased time in the Blues lineup is an indicator of his influence on the team.
Bottom-Line Spark
Walker has played primarily on the third and fourth line for the Blue Note. Offensively, he has provided an offensive spark on those lines. Walker has seven goals and 11 points this season. For someone who averages just under 12 minutes a game, that number is not too shabby. However, it is not the points he puts on the board, it is how he gets them.
Walker is someone who crashes the net to create an opportunity. That habit has rubbed off on his linemates. A great example can be seen in the game against the Dallas Stars a few weeks ago. In the second period of the game, Walked took the puck on a transition down the ice. Forward Alexey Toropchenko immediately moved towards the net where he received the pass from Walker. Walker then broke towards the net for a possible rebound, which did happen after Toropchenko’s shot was saved. Then, Walker picked up the second-chance shot and scored.
Walker is someone the Blues have used on the top lines the past. As such, it may not be a surprise to see he can play like this in the offensive zone. However, part of what makes Walker so valuable to the Blues is how his play is rubbing off on his teammates.
Bottom-Line Grit
Gritty bottom-line players on a must have for any playoff contending team. For the Blues, they have benefited from having that bottom-line grit in the past. In 2016, Steve Ott and Ryan Reaves provided the grit for a Blues team that reached the Western Conference Final. In 2019, that grit was provided by Pat Maroon. Furthermore, Maroon scored three goals as a result of crashing the net, including a memorable overtime-winning goal in Game 7 of the second round.
Walker does not (yet) have any memorable goals like Maroon. However, he is providing grit for the Blues. Walker has 209 hits on the season, over 100 hits more than his next highest total. The forward is not afraid to throw his body around. Not only does this create bumps and bruises to wear down an opponent, but it can sometimes get into their head. An example of this can be found in Saturday’s game. After a stop in play, Nick Foligno hit an unsuspecting Walker in the back of the head as a relation for Walker’s physical presence on the previous shift. It was a dirty hit that should have resulted in a penalty for Foligno. However, this shows that in this instance, Walker has gotten into the head of the opponent.
Blues fans may draw some parallels between Walker and Maroon, as both were known for getting into the heads of their opponent. Fans may fondly remember an instance during Game 2 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final in which Maroon skated to the Boston Bruins bench and informed the Bruins that they were…well, we have to keep this article G-rated. Use your imagination and/or Google.
Walker may not be at that level yet. However, after watching Foligno’s response on Saturday, it makes one wonder what could happen down the road.
An Example to the Team
Walker’s play this season is an example to the rest of the team. If you do not believe, ask head coach Montgomery. In February, Montgomery talked about Walker in an interview and described the player’s performance as something that can be an example to the rest of the team.
If the Blues can find their way into the playoffs, we an expect Walker to have a role in it. Furthermore, we can expect Walker has a spot in the lineup secured for next season, provided this spark and grit continues.
Main Photo: Jeff Curry- Imagn Images
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