Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals checks Alexander Steen of the Blues during the first period at the Scottrade Center on Feb. 13.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Quietly, Alex Steen continues his methodical contribution to this season’s Blues hockey club. The guy described as a “depth player” after he was acquired in a trade with Toronto early last season has emerged as someone far more valuable.
In fact, if individual teams were to hand out their own Hart Trophy to the most valuable player, Steen would be a serious candidate for such an honor this season.
Methodically, Steen has earned marquee status even though he is often an afterthought, a guy who lives in the shadows of prolific scorers such as Brad Boyes or future Hall of Famers like Keith Tkachuk. He doesn’t carry the star power of Paul Kariya, who has built a wonderful career as one of the finest offensive talents ever to grace the National Hockey League.
Steen is a humble guy who is always available to discuss his teammates with the media. He’s well-liked in the room and might be considered unassuming. When the Olympic rosters were announced, you could tell he was disappointed that he did not make Team Sweden. Instead of making public sentiments that he was unfairly snubbed, Steen embraced the possibility that he might be called upon to join the team if one of the chosen had fallen due to injury or illness.
So while those players who weren’t selected talked with great enthusiasm of lounging on the beach, going home to visit friends and relatives or heading out to do some ice fishing, Steen was low-key, saying he’d hang around and wait for the call in case he was needed.
The call didn’t come, but it also didn’t faze him. He used the days off to recharge, never losing the focus that has made him the Blues’ most consistent player this season. Take away the 14 games he missed early after getting off to a great start and Steen would be listed atop team scorers, ahead of current leader Andy McDonald, T.J. Oshie, David Backes and Boyes .
Steen assisted on Patrik Berglund’s power play goal Thursday night in a 2-1 Blues shootout victory over the New York Islanders. To Steen, it’s not about him…it’s about team. Recently, Steen was asked about how he felt about emerging as a central figure in the Blues present and future.
“I play with great guys,” he said of his success, electing to deflect any positive reviews to the play of steady center Jay McClement and Boyes. “Boysie recently has buried a couple of pucks and it has created opportunities for me. I’ve been fortunate enough to put them in.”
That’s a pretty modest assessment for a guy who, even when the Blues lose, seems to come up large. In a lackluster 7-3 loss to Colorado last weekend, Steen scored a pair of goals. In the team’s final game leading into the break, a pivotal encounter with the Washington Capitals - the NHL’s best team at the time – Steen played like a man possessed. So much so that Backes made a point after the game to highlight Steen’s all-around play as key to the Blues’ shootout victory in post-game comments to the media.
That night, the Blues and Steen’s line kept the great Alexander Ovechkin off the scoreboard, while executing Blues’ Coach Davis Payne’s 200-foot, five-man wave of continuous forecheck and attack to perfection.
Alex Steen has become a very valuable player on the Blues.
In a recent radio interview, Payne was asked if he was surprised in a good way about the play of any particular player since he came on board Jan. 2, replacing the fired Andy Murray. Payne didn’t hesitate. He singled out Steen. Later, he expanded on his comment with high praise.
“I don’t think we should ever be completely surprised because you can’t deny hard work and that’s exactly what Alex has put into this,” said Payne. “He’s come with a mindset and a preparation level every single day to get better, to expand his role and to fill the role that we see.
“He’s a student of the game. He’s prepared, so I don’t think if we knew those attributes, you wouldn’t be surprised to see what we’re seeing right now.”
What we’re seeing is something quite impressive. Just look at the numbers. In 52 games, Steen ranks fifth in team scoring with 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points. McDonald leads the Blues in goals with 19 and points with 41, but he’s amassed those numbers playing 11 more games than Steen.
His five power play goals rank third on the team. His plus 4 plus-minus rating is tops among forwards and his 12.9 percent shooting percentage is the best on the club.
“If you look at it right now at this point in time, yeah, he’s performing above expectations,” said Payne. “If you ask him, it’s probably what he expected. So it’s a credit to him.”
Steen’s impact on the Blues goes much deeper than just numbers. He is a standout defensive player who can shut down the league’s finest penalty killers. He is an excellent skater who always seems to find a way to get open. And when things get congested, his relentless desire to create open space is without peer.
On special teams, Steen is a solid penalty killer and on the power play, he is one of the most valuable parts of the machine because, as a point man, he unleashes his shot with force and uncanny accuracy. Most important, his shot comes off the stick quickly, which is critical for point men while holding the man advantage.
Defenseman Erik Johnson has high praise for Steen’s underrated and unsung abilities. Johnson is coming off two weeks of playing with the greatest hockey players in the world during the Winter Olympics and one might think his superlatives would be reserved for those who he played with and against.
But Johnson’s compliments flowed freely when Steen’s name came up.
“The way he plays…once he got into a more offensive role, I think he’s really embraced it,” said Johnson. “I think he’s been our most consistent goal-scorer since he’s been put on the power play.”
The key, Johnson said, is the way Steen uses his feet to maintain control of the puck and put himself in position to score or make productive plays.
“Alex is such a dynamic player,” said Johnson. “He’s dynamic in the way that he has such good feet. He’s a little like Sidney Crosby the way he can control the puck with his feet, work the wall. He’s such a dynamic player that way. And he’s got such a good lower body so he can make those plays…good movement.”
While many believe Johnson is a future superstar and is slowly asserting himself as a key point man on the power play, the youngster marvels at Steen’s prowess with the puck and how he unleashes it with such quickness and fury.
“He uses his feet to set himself up to get the pass where he wants it,” explained Johnson. “It creates a lot of opportunities for him. He moves to the area where he wants to shoot the puck and gets it in his wheelhouse. That’s part of the reason why he’s scored a lot of goals.”
Winger B.J. Crombeen has played with Steen on many occasions and called him “a great player.”
“He does a lot of little things that might go unnoticed, like making the strong play along the wall or getting pucks deep at the right time," Crombeen said. "He’s been rewarded lately. He’s been putting pucks in the net. He’s just a great all-around player. Power play…penalty kill…any situation you put him in, he goes out and gives his all. I think everyone on this team knows that and they respect him for it.”
With Toronto, the 6-foot-1, 206-pound Steen was a good player. Drafted in the first round (24th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry draft, the Leafs saw his best play three seasons later when the 26-year-old Steen scored 18 goals and registered a career best 45 points in 75 games. The following season, he had 15 goals and 35 points in 82 games. In 2007-08, Steen posted totals of 15 goals and 27 assists for 42 points.
Last season he got out of the gate slowly, scoring just two goals and four points in his first 20 games. On Nov. 28, 2008, the Leafs, in an effort to bolster their goal-scoring, acquired former 31-goal scorer Lee Stempniak from the Blues. They sent Steen and fellow former No. 1 draft pick Carlo Colaiacovo to the Blues.
After the deal was made, Blues fans were told that the two players would add youth, quality and depth to the roster in an ongoing effort to build a team for the future. In 61 games with the Blues, Steen had six goals and 24 points in what was primarily a defensive role. He was an important part of the Blues’ amazing second-half rush to earn a playoff berth and in April, he got the chance to taste the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in his career.
The Blues were swept in four straight games by Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks and Steen had one assist. The experience drove him to completely dedicate himself in an off-season training regimen that would lead to a much more expanded role in 2009-10. Steen got off to a roaring start, but he suffered a broken bone in his wrist that sidelined him for 14 games.
“I worked hard in the off-season to make sure I was ready,” he said. “I thought before the injury, I felt really, really good. It took a little while after coming back to get the confidence of everything back of feeling comfortable again.”
Once he became locked in, Steen resumed the solid all-around game he exhibited at the outset. He hasn’t let up since.
“I feel good,” he said. “I feel like I have a lot of energy.”
In his last five games, Steen has four goals and five assists for nine points. In his last 32 games, he’s posted 31 points – nearly a point-a-game pace. Had he not suffered the injury, Steen clearly would rank No. 1 in offense on the club.
Boyes credits Steen and McClement with helping him get his game back on track, too.
“Steener has got a lot of raw skill,” he said. “He works hard. He’s been in a defensive role, but he plays so well at both ends of the ice.”
As he praised his linemate, Steen walked by in street clothes and made eye contact with Boyes who smiled and said, “I’m right…your nose is bigger than mine.”
Steen smiled and shook his head, “No, your nose is bigger," he said.
One thing is certain: Steen’s impact has definitely been bigger than anyone’s this season.
Kariya gave Steen a supreme compliment, calling him “one of the most skilled players I’ve played with. He’s got a tremendous shot and he sees the game very well. He’s very solid professionally.”
Kariya has watched Steen blossom over the past year. Last year Kariya missed most of the campaign recovering from double hip surgery, but he had the chance to watched Steen’s total game unfold.
“I just think he’s grown so much as a player,” noted Kariya. “Sometimes you forget he’s been in the league awhile, how young he is. But I still think he’s improving, still getting better. And he wants to get better. He’s got a great attitude about the game.”
Payne was asked if he was perhaps the Blues’ most versatile and effective player. The coach thought for a moment and said, “He plays all three forward positions…he’s played D…he’s been able to defend situations when you get into trouble in the power play…he kills penalties.
“So just about every (situation),” continued Payne. “I have a very high comfort level with him on the ice.”
Contact Globe-Democrat.com sports writer George Csolak at gcsolak@globe-democrat.com
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