The St. Louis Blues came into their 31st game of the season with just one win over a division opponent. Getting their second was not going to be easy as they faced the Dallas Stars, with the second-best record in the division.
Things started well enough. The Blues struck first, which has not happened a ton this season.
The top line continued to buzz, with Jordan Kyrou getting the goal. They cycled the puck around the zone, eventually finding Kyrou in the slot. He held on to create space and snapped one home from the left hash marks for a 1-0 lead.
The Blues would carry that lead into the intermission. Unfortunately, the seven shots they had in the first period were the most they'd have all game.
The offense all but disappeared in the second period. St. Louis got outshot 14-3 in the second period alone.
While the defense played well enough, the Blues relied heavily on Jordan Binnington. He stood tall except for an unbeatable power-play goal that came from almost the same spot that Kyrou scored from the period prior.
It stayed 1-1 into the third, which was good, but also nerve-racking. St. Louis only mustered six shots in the third period and most of those came in the last seven minutes.
The Blues gave up 10 shots in the third, many of which came from dangerous spots with the defense flat-footed due to turnovers. Binnington stopped them all, but Dallas had double-digit shots in every period.
The game went to overtime and it just wasn't in the cards for the Blues. They couldn't gain any momentum and barely had the puck at all.
Eventually, a chip up the right wing led to a break into the zone for Matt Duchesne. He cut in past Justin Faulk and roofed a shot past Binnington for a 2-1 win.
Pro: Binnington
We've reached the point where if you want to blame the goalie - Binnington in particular - for losses, then go ahead. All you're doing is revealing that you're unknowledgeable and angry.
The reality is that the Blues only get a point in this game because of Binner. He was under fire in the second period and bailed the team out of their boneheaded passes in the third.
35 saves on 37 shots is a damn good night almost any time out there. When your team only musters 16 total shots, none of which were in OT, then it's almost impossible to win.
The Blues goalie was their best player on this night. Take that to be a positive or a negative, but it's a fact one way or the other.
Con: Turnovers
Turnovers happen in every sport to every team. If there was truly a way to prevent them, no team would ever cough the puck up, throw an interception, or have a fast break off a bad pass into the paint.
The issue with the Blues is still when and where these turnovers occur. It's CONSTANTLY on zone exits and entrances, which means half your line is going the wrong way and can't help out.
In the third period alone, in the final five minutes, there were at least four or more turnovers which led to chances for the Stars. Your teammate has bailed you out time and time again and instead of fixing the issue, they keep trying bad passes or guys aren't moving enough which emboldens forecheckers to put on even more pressure.
The stat sheet has 23 statistical giveaways for the Blues. That means you can probably multiply that by 1.5.
St. Louis can't hold the zone because they turn it over. They can't exit the zone because they turn it over. This team isn't great, but they have too much talent and players who have been there before to be this fundamentally poor.
Pro: Fowler
Don't get this wrong - Cam Fowler didn't have a standout game compared to the best he can play. He only registered one shot, one block, and one hit.
However, I'm always impressed at the guys who can just suit up right away after they've been traded. Fowler has next to no relationship with anyone on this team, but he got to Dallas, put on his uniform, and played in his first NHL game with the Blues.
Try to imagine that for a moment. Your previous employer considered you expendable and now you have to worry about where to live, what your family is going to do, and all sorts of minute details.
In the grand scheme, maybe it's easier to just suit up and play than worry about all that. Nevertheless, I always admire the guys who just come in and do their job regardless of the extenuating circumstances.
Con: Another division loss
I'm normally much closer to a glass-half-full guy, but this is a loss. The Blues got a point on the road against a rival, but you lost.
It wasn't even like they played well enough to win and just didn't get the breaks. Their goalie earned the point and almost nobody else.
Dallas played their butts off and showed how good they can be, so you can't take credit away from them. Still, the Blues shouldn't be this bad to where they're not only not getting shots, but not even possessing the puck.
St. Louis has one win in six divisional games now. If that's going to be the case all season, you are forced to not drop games against the rest of the league, especially against teams like San Jose.
Overview:
The Blues have a wonky schedule. I get it.
They had a long road trip, which they did their job and won three of four. Then you come home for a game, go back on the road, and travel back to St. Louis for an early faceoff against New York on the 15th.
It sucks. But, the rest of the league all goes through the same thing at some point in the year.
I don't want to hear about fatigue. I don't want to hear about jet lag or having to focus on the holidays or the Winter Classic.
This team is not good enough to look past anyone. They've proven they're not very good against the Sharks, but continue to play poorly against them.
It's understandable to have a hiccup against a team like Dallas, but why can't they even threaten? How do you get hemmed in so much and then not even get shots off on the rare times you get into the zone?
This team is maddening because they're good enough to beat the best in the league, but when they're not on their game, they play as poorly or worse than the worst teams in the league. The inconsistency is incomprehensible.
There's a lot of questions about this club. You bring in Fowler to bolster the defense, but then bench Brandon Saad. Is he on his way out?
I'm not even saying he would have had an impact on this game, but the Blues might not be a buyer even though they just added a player. Time will tell on that, but you have to find a way to generate more.
Losing is one thing, but getting shown up is another.