Jaroslav Halak returns to Montreal as the Blues battle the Canadiens

Jaroslav Halak returns to Montreal as the Blues battle the Canadiens by Colin Gambaro

Oct 29, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues center T.J. Oshie (74) reacts to a goal scored by Alexander Steen (20) during the third period at Scottrade Center. The Blues defeat the Jets 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Blues Head Coach Ken Hitchcock has relied heavily on his top line of Alex Steen, David Backes and T.J. Oshie.

And who can blame him?

The three have combined for 45 points (Steen 19, Backes 15, Oshie 11), combining cohesive two-way play with a chemistry in the offensive zone not seen around St. Louis for a long time. Additionally, Steen leads the league in goals, tallying 13 goals in his first 13 games.

Steen, Backes and Oshie lead the Blues forwards in Average Time On Ice by a large margin, averaging 21:02, 20:45 and 20:05 a game respectively. The next closest forward is Jaden Schwartz, who is averaging 16:36 of ice time per game.

While it is hard to argue with Hitchcock’s reliance on the top line- they rank 1-2-3 among forwards on the team in scoring- many Blues fans have recently voiced their concern that the three may wear down if their workload stays the same over the course of the season.

It is worth pointing out that the Blues have had a light schedule to date, having played 13 games, the least amount in the NHL.

Still, as the schedule begins to ramp up, the question must be asked: are the three being overworked?

So, in today’s daily poll, we pose the following question to you, the readers: