DENVER — It happened just 40 seconds into the Blues’ 5-3 victory over Colorado on Saturday, and if you had one guess as to which player would take care of it, you probably figured Brayden Schenn.
Five months ago, Colorado’s Nazem Kadri knocked Blues defenseman Justin Faulk out of the teams’ first-round playoff series with a controversial head hit in Game 2.
The NHL’s Player Safety department gave Kadri an eight-game suspension, but it wasn’t enough — at least not with Schenn’s elephant memory.
“I’ve obviously thought about it over the last little while,” Schenn said. “(Faulk) is a helluva teammate, takes care of everyone, and we’ve seen him stick up for guys before. I think he did for (Tyler) Bozak last year in Vegas. So, I’m not really looking for any credit. It’s part of the game, and that’s what this culture is kind of built on. Guys before me have done it, and it needs to continue in our locker room.”
It was Faulk last season, stepping up for Bozak after he was leveled by Vegas’ Mark Stone. This time, it was Faulk for whom the Blues showed love.
“Schenner’s obviously a great teammate,” Faulk said. “He fits the mold exactly what you want as a teammate. You couldn’t ask anything more from him day in and day out. There’s a reason he’s a leader on this team.
