Pro/Con: Thomas
Overall, it was a decent game for Robert Thomas against the Oilers. It wasn't his best of the season, but a lot better than we've seen during that losing streak.
However, individually, he continues to be puzzlingly up and down. He'll have a great shift and then make a bone-headed play.
Early in the game, he tried a really dumb stretch pass that was never going to connect. It gets picked off and the Oilers nearly came down and scored.
Then he'd play fine create some chances and look good again. However, there's no explaining the empty net miss with the goalie well out of his crease.
Making matters worse, Thomas is openly displaying his frustration too much. It's fine to be upset, but he's letting the other team and his teammates see every little thing that bothers him now.
The assist on the Parayko goal was top-notch. You just need your star player to convert that insurance goal.
Overview:
Earlier in the season - heck, even a week or two ago - we would all have been fine with a point. You take the second-best team in the conference to the brink and do an overall, good job of containing the Oilers' top line.
This late in the season, there just isn't room for moral victories. The Blues would rather play a horrible game and get two points instead of play well enough to win and still come up short.
There simply isn't enough time to be dropping points. They need wins and a win over a fellow conference opponent would have been big.
Overall, it was just an odd game. The Blues play a mediocre first period and survive without allowing a goal.
They played a much better second period, disrupted things, and nearly scored shorthanded, only for the Oilers to score the only goal of the period. Then, the Blues dominated in the third and still allowed one goal only to lose in overtime.
As much as I blame the officials for the noncall in overtime, it had no business getting there. The Blues were buzzing and needed an insurance goal.
They just can't hang on to one-goal leads right now. They needed that third one to get the win and simply couldn't.
Skinner is an unreliable goalie and Edmonton will never win a Cup with him, but he won this game. The Blues didn't have a ton of shots, but he made enough quality saves to be a difference-maker.
It's a shame because Binnington and the team overall played well enough to win. As the saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.