Things that make you go hmmm…This game marked the return for the first time of Robert Bortuzzo who was traded last season and subsequently signed with Utah as a free agent. Unfortunately, he is not playing…really Utah?
Dylan Holloway in the lineup...
Dylan Holloway has recovered from his scary injury on Tuesday and is back in the lineup…great to see. Joel Hofer in-between the pipes. Connor Ingram in net for Utah.
Continue the physicality…
The Blues have been successful when they throw their bodies around and play a hard physical game.
18 seconds…is all it takes for Utah to get a breakaway and a whiffed shot goes five-hole to beat Hofer…not a good start to say the least…Blues have now allowed the first goal in 10 of 14 games.
Blues are 0-for at home on the power play at home this season…this trend continued in the first period as they had a two-man advantage for 26 seconds and almost four minutes of power play action…four shots but no goals.
With 1:19 left in the first…a breakout led by Jake Neighbours rushes across the blue line and a quick pass to Pavel Buchnevich and over to Colton Parayko, who fires one into the top right corner…"where mama hides the cookies..." his fourth of the year. We are tied after one…1 to 1. Utah leads in shots 11 to eight.
Period 2…Hofer stands tall!
Utah had the edge in play, outshooting the Blues and scores on their 14th shot of the period with under two minutes left. Blues make it 0 for 3 on the power play and this one was a three-minute span with zero shots. Blues only two shots in the period…not going to win without bringing the pressure and getting chances.
Third period comeback on order?
Halfway through and Utah still has the Blues on their heels…Blues only generated four shots in the first 12 minutes. Finally, a breakthrough with 6:31 left…a great move by Buchnevich entering the offensive zone, avoiding all five Utah defenders, and he flips a backhand pass to Jordan Kyrou who blasts one past a helpless Ingram. We are tied at two!
A bad drop pass by Kyrou leads to a two on one for Utah and a shot deflects off a sprawling Parayko and evades Hofer with 3:21 left…3 to 2 Utah. The Blues pull the goalie for the extra skater with 1:55 left…but an empty net goal seals the deal with four seconds left…4 to 2 Utah.
Observations...Blues outplayed/outshot 31 to 15...Whether they are Arizona or Utah, this team has the Blues number...Nathan Walker continued his hard-nosed physical, throwing his body around aggressive play...Hofer now 0-2 after a three-win start...Back to .500 at 7-7-0...Where would this team be without Suter's steady confident play?