The St. Louis Blues were coming off a win over the New York Islanders and headed to the mainland to face the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The previous game wasn't pretty, but it got two points.
The first period of the game against the Rangers was similar. The Blues weren't great, but they managed to get the job done.
St. Louis only got five shots on target in the first 20 minutes, but they got one into the back of the net. Dylan Holloway got the puck from the defense and snapped it over the glove shoulder from the left circle.
The stats for the first were weird. The danger chances were similar, but the Rangers had more shots and more time in the offensive zone. Joel Hofer wasn't having to be spectacular, but he was worked much more.
Things remained pretty even in the second, with a slight edge going to the Blues. They kept missing on some of their chances though.
That cost them as they got caught out there too long on a second-period shift. The Blues got the puck up the ice, but didn't get it deep enough, which kept the defenders out there too long.
Robert Thomas looked to lose track of his man through the middle, and Adam Fox hit a stretch pass right through the middle of the ice. The Rangers then split the defense, found Vincent Trochek on the right, and the quick sweep shot beat Hofer to tie the game about midway through.
St. Louis had some looks, but still only managed seven shots. Their best chance was a close-range shot from Jake Neighbours on the right, but he got stopped and then didn't have any room to get the rebound back toward the net.
The Rangers wasted no time taking the lead in the third period. A point shot was deflected downward in front. There were calls for a high stick, but even if it was challenged, it would likely have been too inconclusive. The 2-1 lead for the Blueshirts came just 40 seconds in.
The Blues just couldn't do anything in the third period. The offense was nonexistent.
The Rangers made it 3-1 with about 11 minutes left. Then the Blues best opportunity came with Neighbours taking another high stick and earning the team a four-minute double minor.
They didn't really even come close to scoring on that entire power play. It seemed like the game would end without a fight, but the Blues pulled the goalie and scored a fluke goal off of Brayden Schenn with 1:15 left.
St. Louis kept possession to end the game, but could not get the tying goal. They lost 3-2.
Con: Offense
I know plenty of fans are down on the talent level of this team, and I get it. Right now, they are what you thought they were.
I still don't understand what the issue is, though, because there's talent there. Kyrou is a 30-goal scorer. Holloway has shown he can be a sniper, even if he's only a 20-plus goal scorer. Thomas should be getting 80-plus points every season. Jimmy Snuggerud is the sniper of the future, and there's more that can play better.
They don't even look like they believe they can right now. It's not as though this doesn't happen to every other team in the league, but 22 shots just isn't going to cut it most nights, and it took 10 third-period shots to get to that total. If you can't get 10 shots per period, you're either being too picky or too easy to defend.
Con: Defensive luck/structure?
I don't even know what to think about this team right now. While I haven't played at a high level, I've watched the game for well over 30 years and not just as a fan, but as a broadcaster and writer. I try to view things as to how they should have gone, not just who to blame.
However, if you can tell me specifically what's going on with the Blues defense, please enlighten me. I don't know what they're supposed to do differently.
The defensive pairings will get the bulk of the blame, but I didn't really see a true breakdown on their part. On the Rangers' second goal, the puck has to get deep into the zone and doesn't. Then, Thomas doesn't take the right defensive angle to defend a pass, so the defenders are in the right position, but there's not supposed to be a forward coming right through the middle the way it happened.
Logan Mailloux will get more blame for being outmatched at the NHL level, and it's true he was a minus-2 on the night. He's trying to play his man as best he can, and lapses elsewhere put him in a bad spot. Right now, the entire five players out there just lose track once and it costs them even when they defend well the rest of the game.
Overview:
There's nothing to hang their hat on with this team. The goaltending is really the only thing hanging them in there, so if it's not beyond spectacular, the Blues can't win.
As I said, in the grand scheme, the defense did a good job with blocked shots and limiting chances. But every issue or mistake just seems to lead to a goal. You'll never have a perfect game, so if you can't get away with a mistake here or there, you're doomed.
Offensively, there's not enough urgency, but guys are also trying way too hard, which actually makes more issues than not. St. Louis got rush plays and had looks that would lead to chances, but either they'd fumble a pass, get a shot right at the goalie or miss the net. They can't seem to generate anything positive consistently.
The guys in the locker room are the only ones who can change any of this. No coaching change is coming, and it wouldn't make a difference if it did. A trade would send a message, but I can't see that lasting more than a couple of games.
This team has the talent to beat anyone. They should have beaten the best regular-season team in the league last year, and, on paper, they got better with the addition of Dalibor Dvorsky and Snuggerud. They have to go out there and have fun somehow. Right now, it's just a job and a job they're afraid of.