Blues salvage point against Canucks due to controversial play

The St. Louis Blues dropped their sixth straight decision, a 4-3 shootout defeat on Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks. The loss, despite the valiant effort, was a blackeye moment for the team.

But at the very least, the Blues managed to salvage a point. The defeat was akin to a boxer losing a bout by split decision. Yes, the loss is a loss, but at least it wasn’t a rout. The Blues had a chance to win.

Unfortunately, that opportunity to win was nearly robbed by a Vancouver goal late in the third period. The Enterprise Center fell silent as the scoreboard showed 4-3 in favor of the Canucks. But Jim Montgomery was quick to react, leading to a coach’s challenge.

The challenge was successful. There was goalie interference on the play, leaving the score tied at three.

Here’s a look at the contentious play:

Honestly, the play seemed fine to me. But looking at the finer points, the Canucks forward MacKeznzie MacEachern bumped into Jordan Binnington, moving him out of position. That misadjustment is what facilitated Evander Kane’s would-be go-ahead goal.

The contact seemed innocent enough. But this is 2025, and goalie interference rules are pretty strict. Back in the 80s, when I was growing up, that would have been a good goal.

Be that as it may, the call was a rightful and fortunate one for the Blues. It salvaged a point and added some measure of relief in what was otherwise another disappointing outcome for the Blues.

Schenn loses handle in shootout, potentially costing Blues the game

 As far as the loss itself, there wasn’t a single point of failure we could target as the main cause of the defeat. My colleague Todd Panula did an excellent job of breaking down the entire game in this post.

But there was one incident that stood out. In the shootout, Blues captain Brayden Schenn ended up with egg on his face. His attempt at a nifty move resulted in disaster.

Here’s a look:

Now, saying that the Blues lost because of this play is an overreach. It’s also nitpicking when this wasn’t the only faux pas on the Blues’ rap sheet. But we can surmise that, had Schenn gotten his shot attempt away, he could have scored. And that would have made the difference in the game.

Again, it’s really pushing the envelope to say that the Blues lost because of this play. But the situation was indicative of the way this season has gone for St. Louis so far. The club just hasn’t been getting the bounces. That’s been patent in the scoreboard and, well, the standings, too.

Let’s hope that November ushers in a slight reset. The Blues are known to turn things around after a less-than-stellar start to the season. So, there’s always reason for hope in St. Louis.