Blues fans yammer on about the team's need to add major offensive help before the NHL trade deadline.

But as the Note demonstrated Thursday night, it does have some internal solutions. To score more goals, the Blues must get their  injured forwards back on the ice and coax additional growth from their young offensive forwards.

Those are the two factors general manager Doug Armstrong weighs constantly while evaluating his roster.

What offensive impact will returning players have? Andy McDonald has made a big splash and Alex Steen could, too, if he makes it back from his concussion.

Can the team’s young line forwards and offensive defensemen deliver bigger production down the stretch? David Perron and T.J. Oshie flashed their game-breaking potential as the Blues rolled over the Islanders 5-1 at Scottrade Center.

Here were the signs of encouragement:

• Back from his shoulder injury, Jason Arnott parked on the left post while linemate Vladimir Sobotka operated in the left corner. Sobotka turned to his forehand and took a tough angle shot from the side and Arnott deflected the puck out of midair and on goal. Then Arnott deftly lifted the rebound past Islanders goaltender Al Montoya while the oft-maligned Chris Stewart crashed the net at the right point.

Positive signs: Big forwards on top of the goal while a shifty forward found a way to get the puck into the crease.

• On a power play, Oshie fought off a check to move the puck out to Alex Pietrangelo at the right point. Pietrangelo quickly moved the puck from the left point to Kevin Shattenkirk, who had room to shoot. David Backes parked square in front of Montoya. Shattenkirk got the puck through the shooting lane, through Backes and ultimately past Montoya. Thus ended Shattenkirk’s offensive drought.

Positive signs: Quick puck movement, a point shot that got through and an excellent goaltender screen from one of the league’s top power forwards.

• Patrik Berglund triggered a 3-on-2 rush by gaining the puck in his own zone on the backcheck. He gave it to McDonald, who rushed the puck up the left wing while Berglund went hard up the middle. McDonald dished the puck across to Jamie Langenbrunner on the right wing, setting up Langenbrunner’s blast on goal. McDonald arrived from the left wing to convert the rebound with a backhanded chip shot. This was his first goal after returning from his lengthy concussion-related absence.

Positive signs: Possession gained with a good defensive zone read, a quick outlet pass triggering the breakout, a well-spaced three-man rush, an accurate shot off an accurate pass and a quick rebound conversion before the goaltender or defense could react.

• On a power play, the Blues used tic-tac-toe passing to leave the penalty killers scrambling. From the left point, Shattenkirk hit Oshie with a diagonal pass to the right side. Oshie shoveled a backhand pass to give Pietrangelo a clean look at the right point. Backes parked in front of the net and Perron skated through the line of fire to redirect the shot past Montoya.

Positive signs: Confident puck movement, good goaltender screen, an accurate point shot that got through and a second forward causing havoc in front of the net.

• Oshie set up the final goal on the forecheck, delivering a big hit on Islanders defenseman Mark Eaton behind the New York net. This is how you play Ken Hitchock’s “200-foot game.” That body check allowed Backes to steal the puck along the right wall and start an offensive sequence. He passed the puck to Pietrangelo, who quickly moved the puck from the right point to the left point and Kent Huskins. When Huskins fired wide of the net, the puck came back around to Pietrangelo, who shot again — and got the redirection from Oshie to give the Blues a 5-1 lead.

Positive points: The forecheck forcing a turnover, timely puck movement, a shooting gallery mentality from the point and another goal created by traffic in front of the net.

 

Goals will be harder to come by against better teams and tougher goaltenders, but who scored those goals and how they scored them was instructive.

While the Blues are capable of making flashy individual plays — like Perron’s spectacular rush in the opening moments Thursday — they saw how the simple stuff will yield the best results.

Backchecking triggered rushes. Forechecking created offensive zone pressure. Quick passes created shooting lanes. Pucks at the net, bodies at the net, second and third efforts around the crease . . . goalmouth havoc decided another game.

There was a lot to take out of this victory if the Blues remember to draw on the positives during the weeks ahead.