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“It wasn’t sharp — I think it was because of our brains,� coach Jim Montgomery shared after.

So, the shouting psychologist stood up.

“He has a loud voice,� Jordan Kyrou said of captain Brayden Schenn, “and is always getting us going, whenever things aren’t going right. Between second and third, he really got us going there. … He said, ‘We’ve got better (capabilities) than that. … Not really playing too well in the first two periods, but just try to stick with it. We did have a couple chances, they didn’t go, their goalie is playing really well. … So keep attacking.’�

Brayden’s Blues focused and found some fight. Thirteen shots in the period. And sure enough, Kyrou tied the game in the final minute … and teammate Cam Fowler scored in overtime to win it.

Motivational speeches to a struggling team aren’t a cure-all (except, of course, in sports movies). But in this individual case, it’s just one example of the captain Schenn pushing the right button at the right time.

“He’s the ultimate team leader,� Fowler said.

After what Schenn called a “learning� season in 2023-24, he has become an elite captain in 2024-25 — and the Blues enter Thursday on a 10-game winning streak, while sitting in a wild card spot. Schenn elevates his mates. From what he called “tough conversations� to leading by example. From dropping the gloves to picking up a young player. From feeding off the coach to putting his personal twist on leadership.

“I’ve been a fan of his from afar and the way that he approaches the game,� said Fowler, who was traded to the Blues this season after 15 years with Anaheim. “And (I know) the respect that he has from everybody in the locker room and around the league. He just does everything the right way. You know, he’s our emotional leader. He’ll stand up and fight for guys. He’ll set the tone physically, contribute offensively. Whatever the team needs in that moment, that’s what he brings. He’s an incredible leader — and deserves a lot of credit.�

Rating the value of a captain in hockey is kind of like doing so for a catcher in baseball. Sure there are some stats, but the impact a guy makes is behind the scenes and more anecdotal. Yadier Molina, surely, was worth more to the Cardinals than his batting average or his wins above replacement total. And such is the same with Schenn — as we famously saw with 2019 captain Alex Pietrangelo.

And incidentally, Schenn does have some nice stats, notably of late. For the year, he’s at 48 points in 76 games played (for his career, he averages 55 points in 82 games). In late January and early February, he had a stretch of five games without a point (and the Blues lost four of them). But from Feb. 1 until now, he has 19 points in 23 games. With 53 hits! He’s at plus-eight. And the team, of course, has been on a terror since Schenn got going (while other guys got going, too).

Schenn, of course, was part of the 2018-19 Blues, who set a franchise-best winning streak of 11 games, en route to the Stanley Cup. Asked if there were similarities between that streak and this one, Schenn said: “Yeah, like, the feel of the locker room, the feel of the confidence of the guys. And just how hard guys are playing for one another, being selfless. And when you play like that and play hard for your teammate, you end up actually getting rewarded more — obviously in the win column, but individually as well.

“So yeah, guys are definitely buying in.�

As we know, Schenn’s name popped up in numerous trade rumors. But when general manager Doug Armstrong kept his captain at the deadline, it served as a message to the Blues — as is, this team can do some things. And it’s been just a jaw-dropping stretch of hockey. Now, even in the 10-game stretch, there have been periods with cloudy brains. And some of the wins weren’t pretty, but worth two points nonetheless.

But the team has developed an overall identity. Jake Neighbours called it “stingy.� I call it “Schenn-y.�

“I just like the — I don’t know if mental toughness is the right word, but — the way we stick to it,� Montgomery said. “Like, we said we needed to simplify in the third (against Detroit on Tuesday). We thought our second was a little too much east-west, too many turnovers, not winning enough battles, and we just had to get back to our identity and who we are. And I felt we did as good a job as we could.�

Last year was tough. Schenn did his part physically on the ice, but there weren’t always followers. Even at 33, he knew he could grow as a player — not necessarily as a center, but as a captain.

And now, he looks like a leader equipped to navigate a postseason.

“Being a captain of our organization,� Schenn said. “You actually don’t realize what comes with it — there’s a lot of learning that goes with it. You’ve got to keep on learning and then continue to grow as an individual and with the team. …

“When you get named to become a leader of this franchise, it’s definitely an extreme honor. Just the amount of great captains they’ve had here. But I’ve been very fortunate, lucky this year to have a lot of guys behind me that are carrying the same message. And we’re all doing it together, right? So it’s just not me talking in between periods, it’s everyone chipping in. … Guys are leading in their own way. And some are vocal. Some are not. It’s definitely been fun and just an honor to be captain.�