St. Louis Blues Pros And Cons From Game 15 Vs. Minnesota

The St. Louis Blues saw plenty of familiar faces across the way, facing the Minnesota Wild for the second time in a week. Unfortunately, though the game went differently, the outcome did not.

The St. Louis Blues knew they needed to find a different level if they were going to keep pace with the Minnesota Wild after a truly awful 4-1 loss just a week prior. They did enough to keep themselves in the game, but not enough to make the end result much different.

Everything was just slightly off about this game. From the 2 p.m. start time to the way things went in the second period, you just had a feeling that it might not play out the way Blues fans wanted.

St. Louis managed to give the fans a bit to cheer for right at the beginning. Oskar Sundqvist, who now has more goals this season than all of his career, managed to score a nifty one timer in the first.

The Blues managed to play a very solid game, keeping everything tight for the rest of the first period, but it unraveled a bit after that.

Minnesota scored two goals at the beginning of the second period. It took less than two minutes for that to happen and there was less than 30 seconds between the scores.

The first goal was a lucky bounce off the crossbar, right back to the Wild. The second was a good shot. Overall, it just was a sloppy beginning to the period and the team was not ready whatsoever.

The Blues rebounded in the third, but it just was not enough. Their mistakes, as has been the case most of the season, cost them way too much.

A 3-2 loss is a loss no matter how you slice it. The Blues did not revert to their old ways completely, but it’s a battle every time out apparently.

Pros: Put An End To Goalie Controversy

I know it is one game, but can we put this goaltending stuff to rest. I get the argument made by the fans that only said they want to ride the hot hand. I may not agree with it, but I get it.

My hope is, and I know it’s a fool’s hope, that this game shows that it’s more about the team than the goaltender. Jake Allen lost so many of these same games already this season and got blamed.

I do not see much reaction to Chad Johnson costing the Blues in this game. That is why I get so upset at this entire discussion.

If you don’t like Allen, just admit that and keep it at that. Coming up with numbers to back each argument is pointless at this juncture because I can give you stats that support Allen and you will give some against.

We also cannot use the eye test, because that is subjective. If Allen was in goal against Minnesota and the goals were exactly the same, he would be blamed. Johnson gets a pass because there was nothing he could do.

As fans, we need to start taking the name off the jersey in our mind. Look at the actual situations and what happened, not whether this guy or that guy can’t get it done.

Hopefully, this will put this controversy to rest. Johnson was not going to be our savior and fans need to stop latching onto a backup every time they have a good run.

Cons: Undisciplined Play/Poor Officiating

I felt I had to combine these because they all kind of lumped in with the other. What it ultimately boils down to is the Blues not being able to finish.

When they are ahead, they ease off the gas. When they are tied or behind, they shoot themselves in the foot instead of finding ways to get it done. More times than not, this all happens in the third period as it did against Minnesota.

The Blues only had three penalties all game long. However, they all came in the third period.

That is where the officiating ties into all this. Some of the calls were iffy at best and some were downright nonsensical.

For example, the penalty against Colton Parayko was terrible. I understand we want to increase scoring and what not, but there have to be limits. One of the Wild players chipped the puck in and Parayko simply checked him into the wall. He did not take too many steps or hit him too hard. It was a good check in any other era but the one we have now.

The first David Perron penalty was whatever since it was a roughing call against both players. Even so, you put yourself down a man in that situation, though you do like to see a little feisty play out of Perron.

The second one, however, just cannot happen. It is an offensive zone penalty and a weak one at that. Sure, the official should not have called it since it was a love tap, but if you are Perron, you cannot give the official the option.

The Blues are continually guilty of this at the worst times possible. You can’t call them completely undisciplined when they are limiting their penalties, but it just seems like they choose the worst time to take penalties and it costs them.

Pros: Top Line Looks Like It

We have known for awhile now that offense is not likely to be this team’s problem going forward. Yes, you would like them to score more than two goals, but they are still scoring.

Cons: Poor Defensive Zone Clearance

This is the big one and something that continues to plague this team. As good as they can be, they look just as terrible when it comes to exiting the zone and puck management in their own end.

The Blues had nine giveaways in this game. By now we all know that turnovers do not automatically mean statistical giveaways, so if you have nine actual giveaways, that is a lot.

The second Minnesota goal resulted from a deflection back into the Blues zone. Instead of stepping up and taking a man, the defenders just waved sticks, blindly hoping to connect. Even the back checker tried to lift a stick, but there just was not enough there to get the job done.

Last, but not least, the third goal was a direct result of a failure to get the puck out. The Blues had the puck on their stick at least four times and a chance to clear at least three times. Clearly that did not happen because they got scored on and lost the game.

I just cannot fathom how professional players can randomly be so weak on the puck. Beyond that little flurry, the Blues were caught whiffing on backhanded clearances throughout the game. Their only saving grace was it not costing them every time.

They also kept trying backpasses to find more space to exit the zone instead of charging forward. Even the radio crew mentioned this. The Blues invited more pressure this way instead of alleviating it. How in the world a team can play so completely different from what they know works is beyond me.

Overview

This loss was nowhere near as bad as the one eight days prior, but does it really matter? I guess it does because they are not getting destroyed, but this was a winnable game and you get nothing.

Johnson played a decent game, but was nothing spectacular. The defense was not bad, but not great. The offense was there, but did not get the big play when it was demanded.

This was one of those games, even though the Blues did not play poorly, it makes you wonder if they can “turn it around” or if this just is what they are. Maybe they are just a team that will score a bunch of goals, not keep enough out and float around just below the playoff line.

Clearly, none of us hope that is true. The Blues need to make the playoffs to continue to be a destination for good players since they never finish poorly enough for a high draft pick.

It is just frustrating because, on paper, I do not see that much more talent on Minnesota. Neverthless, they find ways to get the job done.

They go through stretches where the goaltending is questioned, but they keep going and manage to win a lot of games. The Blues still feel like any little adversity hurts them, though they are starting to climb out of that a little.

Next. Red Berenson's Six Goal Performance Is 50. dark

The question is whether they can climb out of that hole entirely or not at all. These games the past week or two are not just losses, but losses to divisional opponents. You aren’t just losing, but having a four point swing in the standings.

It’s just a loss, but it sits very sour since it feels like we should be better than this Minnesota team and clearly we are not.

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