St. Louis Blues Pros And Cons From Game 26 Vs. Edmonton

The St. Louis Blues continue to fall night in and out. Even when they play decently, they seem to not be able to get the job done by the end of the game.

The St. Louis Blues came out in their game against Edmonton with plenty to strive for. They had some new faces that would want to put the best foot forward for the big club after being called up from the NHL. They also had some guys going against their former coach, Ken Hitchcock, that could have used that for motivation to show him they’ve still got it.

Instead, we got the usual St. Louis Blues that we seem to get far more often that not. They played one really good period and then it sort of went down hill from there.

As has become customary with this team, even when they play well, they don’t seem to leave the arena with a win. There are plenty of excuses, overall, but this season just seems more and more lost with every game.

As fans, we really have no clue what to do right now. The Blues are our team and we want to get excited each time they take the ice. However, it becomes increasingly depressing to type up these recaps and see how many games are still left in the season but have no real reason to hope they can turn it around.

The Blues came out and got the job done in the first period, giving the home crowd (small as it may have been) reason to be excited. Two goals in the opening frame were good enough in and of themselves, but the Blues got contributions from nice places.

The first goal was from their new look fourth line, popped in by Ivan Barbashev. The second goal was from Brayden Schenn, who the Blues desperately need to get going like he was in 2017-18. Then, the wheels slowly came off.

The Blues escaped the second period by only allowing one goal. Then, just when it seemed they might escape with a regulation win, the Blues became the Blues.

The defenders magically decided they were goaltenders and there were multiple guys in blue screening their own goaltender. Edmonton scored in the final minute to tie and then won in a shootout.

Cons: Screening Your Own Goaltender

In the best of worlds, we should be applauding our defenders for showing a willingness to get in front of shots. Whether by bad luck or poor positioning, that has gone by the wayside.

We have reached a point where it would be far better for the defenders to get the hell out of the way and let the goalie see something. Most NHL goaltenders are good enough to stop shots from the point if they see it and that includes Jake Allen, no matter what you feel about him personally.

However, with the Blues luck, Allen had no chance to stop the tying goal because he never even saw it. Vladimir Tarasenko was screening out high and then Joel Edmonson was only a yard or so away from Allen himself and right in his field of vision.

Pros: Ivan Barbashev

The entire fourth line was somewhat of a bright spot for the Blues in this game. Maybe that’s an indication of why the game went as it did, but I leave that up to you.

Personally, I would have liked to see Jordan Nolan out there a little more, simply because he brought a little energy to the game. Regardless of that, Barbashev played a very solid game.

For that, he was rewarded with almost 14 minutes of ice time. He even saw a little bit of time on the power play. I do not think that should be any kind of regular thing, but it is no problem for a short lived attempt.

Barbashev was kind of a Mr. Do It All against the Oilers. He had the first goal of the game on his only shot of the game. He also had a blocked shot, a hit and a takeaway too. He also won 80% of his faceoffs

Of course, this is one game and you cannot expect Barbashev to produce these kinds of nights all the time. But this is exactly what you want from your fourth line. You need solid, steady play and the occasional top-notch performance.

Cons: Another Goaltending Performance Wasted

Bash Allen all you want in other games, but a 34 save performance and shutting down five Oilers power plays should be enough to get a win. Instead, the Blues go home with another loss.

Like everything negative with the Blues, this is becoming a reoccurring theme. It has happened with both goaltenders, but far more with Allen lately. The Blues just don’t seem to be able to do anything right as a team.

The defense finally turns things around and then the offense can’t score. You finally get good goaltending and then either the defense lets them down or the offense cannot keep up, depending on each game.

Beyond just Allen’s performance, it gets tiresome to seem so bad at shootouts too. We have absolutely no evidence to go off in 2018-19, since the Edmonton loss was their first in a shootout and first shootout overall, but it’s just an overall observation.

The Blues, for all their talent, seem to never want to deke a goaltender. Tarasenko did and beat the goaltender and was only denied by a bad luck bounce off the back of the pad. Schenn just went for a shot. I understand that when you’re that close it’s hard for goalies to react, but you also give them more of an opportunity to read where it’s coming off the stick when you make no attempt to fake.

It’s just another example of how this season is likely lost. When you are actually getting good performances by the person that so many feel is the team’s weakest link and you still can’t get the job done, it doesn’t breed confidence in anyone.

Overall Thoughts

It’s like a broken record with thousands of scratches at this point. I’m not sure how many different ways you can say it, but this team is impossible to read. It seems like it’s never the same thing, good or bad, from one game to the next.

The Blues had early scoring and a good goaltending performance and still end up on the short end. Yeah, you got a point out of it, but there are no consolations at this juncture. You should have and needed to get the full two points when you go into the final minute and have a lead.

There are no excuses either. I don’t want to hear about the injuries or mixed up lines. You played 59 minutes good enough to win and did not. Good teams find ways to win in those situations. Clearly the 2018-19 version of the Blues is not a good team.

Next. Jordan Kyrou Needs To Play Everyday. dark

Personally, I have reached the point where I expect them to lose and am surprised when they do not. Maybe it’s a self defense thing to not be so affected by the losses, but it is the reality.

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