It was a special night for Alex Pietrangelo, perhaps the best of a still blossoming career. The 22-year-old defenseman scored two goals, added an assist and played a large defensive role as the Blues beat the San Jose Sharks 3-0 on Sunday.
It was the kind of night hockey observers have suggested Pietrangelo might have, maybe one of many such nights to come. Likewise, it was the kind of night many expect Kevin Shattenkirk might have, as well. And he will, if he just stays patient.
While the promising Pietrangelo has emerged as an offensive factor of late, Shattenkirk has been shut down. Pietrangelo's proud Sunday gave him points in 11 of his last 16 games (five goals and 12 assists). He has 10 goals and 19 assists overall and ranks third on the team's scoring list, with 29 points.
On a capable young Blues defensive corps, Shattenkirk is a veritable "Robin" to Pietrangelo's "Batman." The Greenwich, Conn., native generally is regarded as the more instinctive offensive player, and he led NHL rookie defensemen in scoring last season — nine goals and 43 points in 72 games.
But Shattenkirk has gone 15 games without a goal, 11 games without a point. His vision and puck-moving skills still are dynamic, whether they show up on the score sheet or not. He is a plus-5 over the aforementioned 15 games and his plus-20 rating for the season is higher than Pietrangelo's (plus-17), the highest among active players on the roster.
Still, it doesn't sit well with Shattenkirk, not one bit. He prides himself on creating offense and delivering points.
"For me it's very frustrating," Shattenkirk, 23, said. "That's my job, that's what I contribute to the team, what I bring to the table. And it's definitely fallen on my shoulders. I haven't been producing like I did at the beginning of the year.
"I've let if affect my total game, which I need to get a hold of. I think once it doesn't start working for you, you start forcing it a little bit, making some aggressive reads that you normally wouldn't. I think as a young player that's something I need to work on — nipping these things in the bud before they turn into longer slumps."
At one point, Shattenkirk and Pietrangelo were waging a friendly, inspiring competition. It began last season, when they tied for the most points among Blues defensemen. Although it was his first full season, Pietrangelo wasn't officially recognized as a NHL rookie because of his 17 games over two previous seasons. Thus, his 43 points were unidentified.
During the first half of the current schedule, the righthanded-shooting duo remained neck and neck for the points penthouse on the Blues' backline. But Pietrangelo's recent push and Shattenkirk's drought has created spacing. With six goals and 17 assists, Shattenkirk has 23 points, six points in arrears of Pietrangelo. The two are among seven NHL defensemen who have at least 23 points and a plus-minus of plus-16 or better.
The bragging rights issue is all in good fun. Much more important to Shattenkirk is preventing his offensive exasperation from impacting his overall game. He was billed as a talented offensive player with marginal defensive standing when he arrived from Colorado, a trade that also brought Chris Stewart in exchange for Erik Johnson and Jay McClement.
Shattenkirk has been much better defensively than advertised. Although relatively small at 5-feet-11, he is deceptively thick at 208 pounds. He holds his own physically and uses his puck-maneuvering skills to escape problems.
In 80 games since coming to St. Louis, he is a plus-27. The plus-minus statistic is an ambiguous measurement at best. But such lopsided numbers clearly paint Shattenkirk as a more reliable guardian than the advance copy indicated.
Recently, it is almost as if the young guns have traded profiles. By reputation, Pietrangelo is remarkably mature on the defensive side, still blossoming offensively. Shattenkirk is advanced offensively, still learning on defense.
Who pulled the switch?
"If things aren't falling into place offensively, you have to make sure you're doing something out there and taking care of the puck," Shattenkirk said. "That's obviously the most important part of being a defenseman and it's something I have tried to take pride in a little more this year."
Blues coach Ken Hitchcock analyzes Shattenkirk the way a baseball hitting instructor might preach about a slumping slugger, i.e. if he focuses on getting good pitches to hit, concentrates on making solid contact, the home runs will take care of themselves. Fundamentals carry a universal message in sports.
Asked if he would like more offense out of No. 22, Hitchcock changes the context of the conversation.
"No," Hitchcock said. "I'd like to see a little more simplification. I think 'Shatty' is forcing it a little too much. I think he's trying to hit the home run and we'd like to see him get back to hitting singles.
"It's like any other young guy that's got great offensive instincts. When it's not going well, you start forcing it, trying to swing for the fences. We've talked to him a couple of times about that and I think he's starting to realize that you're not going to get it all back in one shift."
Shattenkirk doesn't need to have a spectacular night like the one Pietrangelo had Sunday. He would be better served to search for his offensive mojo one good shift at a time.
"It's all about building good minutes," Hitchcock added. "And if you build good minutes, the offense takes care of itself. When you force the issue defensively, you push too much in the offensive zone, you end up chasing it back to your own net and getting yourself in all sorts of trouble.
"So we're looking for little easier plays out of the zone, not trying to hit the long bombs. Just finding it and kind of, at the end of the day, building good minutes and letting the offense flow from there."
Perhaps it will flow in Columbus, where the Blues meet the Blues Jackets tonight. Shattenkirk had a goal and a plus-4 rating during a 6-4 victory over the Blue Jackets on Dec. 18, the last time the teams met.
That certainly would be something from which to build.
