Both Blueger and Suter take pride in their role as the team’s top penalty-killing duo, and they love how a good kill can give such a boost to the rest of the team.
“I think we read off each other pretty well,” said Suter of the duo. “We know what the other guy is going to do, where we like to position, and I think we are doing a really good job with our faceoffs and getting those zone clears early.”
Suter challenges himself intending to win the special teams battle every night and knows that he and Blueger play a big part in setting the tempo early for the shorthanded group.
“It's a good responsibility to have,” said Blueger. “It's a good opportunity to help the team in a very tangible way. We take a lot of pride in it because it has a big impact on the game. If we do a good job killing and don't give them much, that can give our team some momentum. So, we take a lot of pride in it and it’s a good responsibility to have.”
Blueger views the preparation as an important piece of the job responsibility and knows the value of a good pre-scout and being on the same page with the other three players he hits the ice with.
“You have plenty of scouting meetings before the game of the opposition’s sets, their breakouts, tendencies, all that. You begin to know the players over the years and stuff but a big part of it is just reading and anticipating. It's been good for Pius and me to have been together all year. We have been able to develop chemistry and make our reads off each other quicker. I feel like I'm able to anticipate where he is going to go and vice versa.”
One of Blueger’s favourite parts of killing penalties is the pop from the crowd on a cleared puck or blocked shot. Killing penalties is a tough job to do and hearing the crowd support the shorthanded unit helps breathe energy into the team.
“We feed off the crowd quite a bit,” said Blueger. "When the fans make noise, it gives us a boost. It's not quite like scoring a goal, but it's still a big boost of energy for us that are out there. I think the momentum for the whole team keeps going after a big kill.”
The Canucks penalty kill currently ranks 12th in the league and is clicking at 80.4% on the season. The Blueger-Suter duo continues to be the leaders of the group and improve with the more shorthanded minutes that they play together.
Insider Extra: Shorthanded Faceoffs
Blueger has been tasked with taking most faceoffs to begin a penalty kill and he knows that a big win can kill off 20-30 seconds if the Canucks can get a clean clear.
“I think it's a great challenge and it's a good feeling anytime you can step up and do a good job that way,” said Blueger. “Faceoffs are challenging, and it is something I've been working on, and learning a lot from Millsy on that front. It’s an important part of the game and I feel like I'm getting better at it. It’s a big challenge because they're putting their top guy out there most of the time, and he gets to pick his side in the offensive zone. It's a bit of an advantage for them, so anytime you can overcome that and succeed, it's a great feeling.”
