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St. Louis Blues: Three Stars Of Game 1 Vs. Washington

By Christopher Griffith |
ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 02: St. Louis Blues'Jaden Schwartz plays the puck along the boards during the second period of an NHL hockey game between the St. Louis Blues and the Washington Capitals on October 2, 2019, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Tim Spyers/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 02: St. Louis Blues'Jaden Schwartz plays the puck along the boards during the second period of an NHL hockey game between the St. Louis Blues and the Washington Capitals on October 2, 2019, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Tim Spyers/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The St. Louis Blues raised their championship banner and began their first Stanley Cup title defense against the Washington Capitals tonight.

After the St. Louis Blues gave up three unanswered goals in a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss,it was hard to find a whole lot of positives from the game.

It was not the best all-around game for the Blues, but there were a few players that stood out during the opening game of the season.  Let us take a look at those players with our first edition of three stars of the game.

Third Star:  Jordan Binnington

It doesn’t happen on most nights where can you give the third star to a goaltender that gave up three goals, and took the loss.  That’s what happened though.

If it wasn’t for some timely saves by Jordan Binnington during this game, it would not have even gotten to overtime.

The Blues lost their energy towards the end of the first period and, other than a couple of moments, never seemed to get it back.

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During this time Binnington made more than a few saves that kept the Blues in the game.  The Capitals smelled blood in the water, but Binnington kept them at bay to get the Blues to overtime.

Second Star:  Ryan O’Reilly

Ryan O’Reilly was just being typical O’Reilly during this game.  He ended up with two assists on the night, three shots and two takeaways.  He also led all Blues forwards in TOI (time on the ice) with 20:22.

You may not always see the great play on the ice, but you can use the announcers as a guide on how a player is playing.  Other times you won’t hear a player name all game and you forget they were even in the lineup.

Tonight, you could constantly hear the announcers saying O’Reilly’s name.  He looked like the same player as he was last year.  He was hard to defend on the boards and driving through players with the puck.

Whether he was pushing the pace up the ice or back-checking the other way, O’Reilly always seemed to be around the puck.  With this kind of play, O’Reilly should be in line for another Selke Trophy.

First Star:  Sammy Blais

Sammy Blais scored his first goal of the season just 53 seconds into the game.  He continued that momentum for the rest of the game with his physical play.

Blais not only led the Blues in hits but also topped both teams with a game-high six hits.  He was constantly in on the forecheck causing problems for the Capitals defensemen.

This is a case of someone not always having a pretty play or lighting up the scoreboard, but showcasing that hard work and a consistent effort can cause a player to stand out.

Blais’ play last year, and through the preseason, earned him a spot on the Blues second line.  His play on the first night of the year showed he deserves to be on this line.

With Pat Maroon and Joel Edmundson no longer with St. Louis, the Blues will need this physical play from Blais on a nightly basis.

Next. St. Louis Blues Pros And Cons From Game 1 Vs. Washington. dark

Who will be the three stars after game 2 against the Dallas Stars?  Hopefully, the Blues will have a better all-around performance, therefore, there will be more options to choose from.

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