All hail David Perron. His empty-net goal put a lid on the Blues’ impressive 5-2 win at Washington on Wednesday night. He’s blazing, having scored a goal in seven consecutive games. Perron has the most goals (13) in the NHL since Feb. 27, scoring on an absurd 27.7 percent of his shots on goal.
Perron’s 13-goal binge in the last 10 games is especially awesome considering that he’d scrounged for only nine goals in his first 38 games because of injuries, illness and bad luck. And now, all of a sudden, he’s up to 22 goals this season.
As Perron got healthy and found his groove, he started rolling like never before, scoring at an outrageous rate of 4.4 goals per 60 minutes. And even with the slow start to the season, Perron’s average of 1.6 goals per 60 minutes through his first 48 games would be the best of his career.
Perron’s value is obvious.
He ranks No. 1 among Blues forwards this season with a Corsi For rating of 52.5 at five-on-five, and 59.4% overall. With Perron on the ice the Blues have outscored opponents 34-24 at even strength, and he leads them with power-play goals (9) and points (18.)
Good things usually happen when Perron is linked with Ryan O’Reilly and Brandon Saad; the Blues have scored 77 percent of the goals at five on five with that line on the ice. There’s nothing to nitpick there.
Watching Perron shoo away the struggles and the doubts is one of the joys of the Blues’ season. Since he returned to the Blues at the start of the 2018-2019 season, Perron leads the Blues with 89 goals. And he’s moved up to No. 10 on the all-time franchise list with 191 goals, only four behind Alex Steen at No. 9. And since the Blues were born, only nine players have competed in more games than Mr. Perron’s total of 654. He soon will pass Garry Unger to move up to 9th in career games as a Blue.
It’s been quite a career, and an adventurous ride. I’m speaking for myself here, and speaking as a fan – but I’ve enjoyed watching David Perron as much as any Blue that’s worn The Note. There’s something about him … actually a lot of things about him. Talent, charisma, sharp instincts, an underrated saltiness, and an obvious loyalty to the Blues.
We’ve watched Perron grow up. In the early stages we were frustrated by the slow pace of his development, wondered if he had a harder side to his competitiveness, and worried about his concussions. But he’s matured, grown that harder shell, and gradually maximized his talent. He loves to play. Just loves it. And Perron’s happiness shines through. We’re drawn to athletes that can make us smile — and that’s Perron.
Perron made his Blues’ debut at age 19, and has played for the team at three different stages of his career. No doubt, the last four seasons have been the best, with Perron averaging more than 20 goals per campaign and scoring seven times (with 16 points) in the run to the Stanley Cup.
Perron is known for his scoring, but he’s added so much to his game since rejoining the Blues before the 2018-2019 season. Coach Craig Berube pointed out the difference a couple of weeks ago.
“Just his competitiveness on the puck. He’s one of the strongest guys that I know with the puck when he’s got it,” Berube said. “He hangs onto it and he battles and he competes for it. He wins puck battles all over the place. Eventually, he’s going to get a good opportunity to shoot a puck. He’s got a great shot. We all know he’s got a great shot and he can beat a goalie.”
Perron is 33 now, and will be 34 next season. But he’s one of those guys who seems to stay forever young. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season, and it’s hard to imagine him going away again. He’s done that before, of course – headed to another team via trade or signing, then returning as a better version of himself. But let’s hope No. 57 stays this time, because this is his home, and St. Louis has always brought out the best in him. The relationship transcends hockey. Whatever happens after the season, Perron is a Blue for life. The spirit of St. Louis will always be with him, and in him.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
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Stats used in this column were sourced from Hockey Reference and Natural Stat Trick.
