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The Blues finally scored first. They finally scored a power play goal, and did so twice. They carried a two-goal lead into the third period. And poof.

Boston scored three goals in the third period, capped by David Pastrnak’s game-winner with 1:47 remaining in regulation, to hand the Blues their third straight loss and another gut punch after Saturday’s blowout loss to Washington. Morgan Geekie and Charlie McAvoy scored earlier in the third period for the Bruins to get Boston back in the game.

“We played two good periods tonight, and guys are playing hard for one another,� Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “You just can’t take your foot off the gas. Not that we took our foot off the gas, we just played the wrong way in the third period.

“We played a little bit safe. You can’t play safe in this league. There’s too many good players that feel that, sense that and can make plays. Guys are able to put the puck in the net and that’s what happened tonight.�

Schenn and Oskar Sundqvist scored power-play goals for the Blues. Jordan Binnington made 27 saves.

It was the third straight game that a third period went awry for the Blues. On Thursday, Utah scored the game-winning goal late in the third period off a Blues turnover. On Saturday, Washington hung five goals on ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ to embarrass the Blues. On Tuesday, it was the Bruins’ turn, and Boston entered the evening with five third-period goals on the season.

“We played way too safe instead of going out to attack them,� Sundqvist said. “I thought that we backed off too much. When you’re playing in this league, it’s a lot of good teams. If you play it safe, they’re going to stick it to you.�

Across the last three games, the Blues have been outscored 10-1 in the third period. They have been outshot 30-18.

Pastrnak scored on his 10th shot of the night on a one-timer from the left circle, capitalizing on the chaos surrounding a goal-mouth scramble to squeak a shot through Binnington. McAvoy also scored on a one-timer to tie the game, but his came from the blue line. Geekie scored on the rush following a Colton Parayko turnover in the neutral zone.

Parayko and partner Ryan Suter were on the ice for all three Bruins goals.

“Whenever you play safe, safe is death,� Blues coach Drew Bannister said. “You still have to be able to play aggressive, and you have to trust that when you’re being aggressive, guys are still going to be over top, and allowing your D to get down on pucks. When you do play safe, then you’re sitting back and allowing teams to build speed. If you’re aggressive, you’re pushing them back on their heels. You can slow them down that way.�

Tuesday was the third time in the last two weeks that the Blues let certain points in the standings slip away because of a late goal allowed.

In Philadelphia on Oct. 31, Jordan Kyrou’s turnover in a tied game became the Flyers’ game-winner with 3:01 remaining in the game. No overtime, no point. Against Utah on Thursday, it was another Kyrou turnover that led to the deciding goal with 3:21 left. No overtime, no point. Then it was Pastrnak’s turn to deny the Blues any progress in the standings. No overtime, no point.

“Certainly, it’s in that room,� Bannister said. “Obviously, we’re struggling with our game to find it and put it together for 60 minutes, but it’s going to come and it’s going to be by playing resilient and playing together.�

The Blues scored two power-play goals for the first time this season, and Schenn’s second-period goal was the team’s first power-play goal at home this fall. It also ended a 13-game goal drought for the captain. Sundqvist tacked on a goal of his own later in the period to give the Blues a two-goal lead.

Through two periods, the Blues generated just eight shots on goal at 5 on 5. But they only allowed 11 Boston shots, and ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ was a perfect 4 for 4 on the penalty kill.

“I think we played pretty good in the first two periods,� Sundqvist said. “Kind of stopped playing in the third, not sure why. That’s hockey sometimes.�

The overarching theme that hangs over the Blues is that they’re currently playing without some key pieces in their lineup.

The Blues are halfway through the six-week timeline the team gave for Robert Thomas’ re-evaluation from a fractured ankle. Philip Broberg won’t be back until December. Nick Leddy hasn’t played in close to a month. ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ was a bubble postseason team in the Western Conference entering the season, and then lost its No. 1 center and half of its top-four defensemen.

But the Blues still must find a way to pick up results in the meantime.

“We’re not generating enough to tilt the ice,� Schenn said. “I’m not saying scoring goals, but just to put them on their heels a little bit. We’ve got to find a way. Special teams was good tonight. They gave us a chance to win the hockey game. Our goalie was good. We just sat back in the third and quit making some plays, just passes on the tape. They came at us and we were on our heels the whole third.�

The three-game losing streak is the Blues’ second of the season. ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ will begin a three-game trip through Buffalo, Boston and Carolina on Thursday.

“We’ve just got to work through it,� Bannister said. “You go through this as a team, and you got to stick together as a team. The belief is strong in the room, but it’s not going to come easy. We’re going to have to fight through it together.�