The St. Louis Blues got a gift from the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday afternoon when we learned Tristan Jarry would be facing them. Despite Jarry’s struggles, he had played well against the Blues, but that’s not the issue here.
Instead, it’s more about how poorly Jarry’s played this season, which failed to build off of how unbelievably stagnant he was last year. Despite Jarry’s history vs. the Blues, it still sounded like the Penguins were begging this playoff-contending team to take one from them.
Unfortunately for the Blues, they didn’t answer the call despite logging 36 shots on goal. This was a team that outshot the Penguins 16 to 5 in the first period, but they couldn’t capitalize on getting anything past the ailing Jarry until Zack Bolduc scored on the power play halfway through the second frame.
St. Louis Blues just made a bad goaltender look like a star
In defense of the Blues, when Tristan Jarry’s on, he’s on, and that’s something we need to recognize, evidenced by his six shutouts last season. Still, you’d think a netminder with just an 0.891 save percentage and 3.15 GAA heading into this game would fold once he faced so many shots in the first frame.
Instead, it was the exact opposite, and the Blues once again looked like a bland hockey team and one undeserving of making a playoff push. If they stumble down the stretch against Tristan Jarry of all netminders, then really, what good is it when they face a goaltender again who deserves a spot in the NHL?
Yeah, it was good to see the Blues power play on a roll, as the upstart Dylan Holloway added another one in the third period for his 21st goal of the season. Other than that, you can just say that Alexey Toropchenko made things interesting late.
Someone needs to send the Blues a memo about gift-receiving
Yeah, send the Blues a memo about not returning a gift when it’s given to them at roughly the same time they’re looking to end a playoff drought. Overall, it was a miserable performance from the Blues, if you want my honest answer, and they didn’t help themselves by allowing five goals - that also must be addressed.
Still, maybe they’ll learn their lesson the next time they face an AHL-level goaltender or someone firmly entrenched in the No. 2/backup role. For a team looking to sneak in via a wild card, every game from now until mid-April holds water, and that weight thrust upon this team’s collective backs just got a lot heavier since they’ve failed to capitalize.
Anyway, that’s my follow-up after I was surer than sure Arch City would be celebrating a Blues victory and another step closer to a playoff berth. Clearly, I was wrong, and the Blues need to figure this thing out come Saturday when they face off with a much tougher team, the Minnesota Wild.