The St. Louis Blues late comeback was squashed by another last minute goal to give the Dallas Stars a 5-4 win. This is now the 10th straight loss for the Blues on the road, dating back to December 22.
There was alot to take away from this final game before the Olympic break, but only three stood out the most. Let's talk about it.
The Blues have a losing formula
It is becoming apparent that the Blues unlocked a losing formula. Before, first periods were iffy, but as of late, this team has decided to turn into an offensive juggernaut in the first 20 minutes.
But, even after 57 games, the elephant in the room is still that middle frame. That was the case here with a strong first period from the Blues, resulting in a 2-1 lead going into the first intermission. But, the Stars rallied back to score three in the second period, giving this game basically away.
Obviously, the Blues did try to come back at the end of the game with a game-tying goal from Alexey Toropchenko, but it was all for nothing as Jaime Benn iced the game in the last minute. Where have we heard that before?
A break in disappointment
This was the final game prior to the Olympic Break, and now everyone besides Jordan Binnington, Colton Parayko, Dalibor Dvorsky, Philip Broberg, and Pius Suter will be sitting out for the next two weeks and change. This is a much-needed break in the disappointment.
As of right now, the Blues are still at the bottom of the Central Division, with a record of 20-28-9 for 49 points. They sit 14 points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
This could be a reset, or a time to lick their wounds and get ready to fully hoist the white flag once play resumes.
What needs to happen next?
This is the most interesting question of the season, what happens next? Where do the Blues go from here with only six games from the regular season until the Trade Deadline?
Right now, there are no answers. For the next two weeks, we are all going to put our fandom to the side and root for whatever country you want to see win the Gold Medal at the Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy. This is going to be an incredible tournament, and one that will surely shape the future of best-on-best hockey.