The St. Louis Blues have dropped their second straight game, losing 6-4 to the Minnesota Wild. Where have we seen that score before, maybe against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, perhaps?
Let’s discuss the three main things to take away from this one.
Another 6-4 loss
Yes, another loss in truly the most devastating way possible. In all honesty, if the offense can put up four or more goals and still lose, that is the worst way to lose.
The Blues have yet to defeat the Wild this season, now at 0-3, and that is killing them in the Central Division standings. Now at 19-19-4, they are nine points behind both Colorado and Dallas for the final Central Division playoff spot. The Wild are now two points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the Central Division lead.
Confidence in Binnington is slipping
As inconsistent as the Blues seem to be in winning and losing games this season, there has been one common denominator, goaltender Jordan Binnington. He has been shaky all season, proving to be an excellent goalie at times and nearly unrecognizable at others. His confidence is starting to slip, as well as the confidence the Blues faithful have in him.
For being so revered in the history books of this franchise, the fact of the matter is that fans may be calling for a change at netminder. This change could result in pushing the all-time winningest goaltender in Blues history out the door.
Giving up five goals on 25 shots is not great, and giving up two goals on the first three shots of the game is a vibe killer on the bench. Last night’s game was doomed from the start, as Binnington could not hold it down.
Offense is consistent, finally
Finally, the offense is starting to operate in full force again. With four goals in back-to-back games, you would think that was enough to win them the game. Additionally, the Blues outshot their last two opponents 66-65. That is four points that could have gone the Blues way.
The regulars are still leading the charge. Jordan Kyrou, Pavel Buchnevich, and Robert Thomas, the three-headed monster as you will, got on the score sheet for the Blues. Alongside Jake Neighbours, who scored his 11th goal of the season.