Fowler has seven points (one goal, six assists) in his past three games. He has a four-game point streak (one goal, eight assists), which includes the Blues’ final regular-season game against the Utah Hockey Club.
“He’s like the little piece of the puzzle we were missing from the start of the season,” Blues forward Radek Faksa said. “He’s obviously a good skater, has lots of experience running the power play. Since he got here the power play’s gotten way better. He’s huge for us and playing really well.”
Indeed, the Blues’ power play went 31-for-124 (25 percent, 10th in NHL) since Dec. 15, the day after Fowler’s first game with the Blues. St. Louis’ power play was 12-for-71 (16.9 percent, 26th in the League) before Fowler was acquired.
The 33-year-old laughed at Montgomery’s description of him, saying part of that calmness comes from being a father. He and his wife Jasmine have two boys, Beau who was born March 8 and Charlie, who turned 3 on Saturday. Fowler said it also comes from time in the League.
“I think that’s something that’s developed over time. Now that I have a couple of kids at home and I’m whatever, 15 years in [the NHL], I think it just helps give me perspective and know that, in the grand scheme of things, there are bigger things in life than hockey,” he said.
“So, I’m just happy to be here competing and I think it just helps me stay grounded, having my family and my boys. That’s helped my overall demeanor as my career’s gone on.”
Bruce Boudreau, who coached Fowler with the Ducks from 2011-16, said the Blues acquiring him “was the best deal of all the trade deadline deals” prior to the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline.
“He’s playing with better players and they’re not all younger players. For the last five years in Anaheim, he’s been the senior citizen and he’s been the guy having to teach the young guys, the young defense. Now he’s fitting in and he’s playing with (defenseman Colton) Parayko, he’s playing with guys that are on his level,” Boudreau said.
“I think it’s a real lift off his shoulders. He doesn’t have to take care of this guy and that guy. He just worries about his own job. I’m sure whoever’s running the defense or Jim (Montgomery) said, ‘Just go be you, man.’ And when he’s himself, he’s a really good first-pass guy, jumping into the play.”
The No. 12 pick by the Ducks in the 2010 NHL Draft, Fowler has 493 points (105 goals, 388 assists) in 1,042 career games with the Ducks and Blues. His 15 seasons with the Ducks made him the longest-tenured player for them and he’s second for Anaheim in games played (991 games) behind former forward Ryan Getzlaf (1,157).
Boudreau said Fowler was “more of a really solid defenseman and a great teammate,” in Boudreau’s time in Anaheim.
“When [the Ducks] were good, when they went to the second round, or the conference final or anything, Cam was the guy who was the leader on defense. No matter how good a defense you had, he was the one who played 24 minutes a night when you had Hampus Lindholm, and you had Shea Theodore, and you had Sami Vatanen and Josh Manson. He was still the guy,” Boudreau said of former Ducks defensemen.
“What I see now is a different style of play where he’s being way more aggressive offensively, and they’re giving him that power to go. He's showing he can be an elite offensive defenseman.”
Fowler has gotten very comfortable in his surroundings, a benefit of being traded in December instead of March. He’s fit in well and is thrilled to be back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“That’s why we play as athletes is to have the opportunity to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That’s something that I’ve been missing the past little while. So, to have that opportunity I’m very grateful,” he said.
“We had a lot of success early on in Anaheim and you can get a little spoiled. Because once it goes away, it’s hard to get back. I know how hard it is just to get to this point, so I’m happy to be competing and playing in meaningful games. That’s what matters most.”
