最新杏吧原创

OTTAWA, Ontario 鈥� Apparently nothing could stop the inevitability of Tuesday night鈥檚 8-1 Blues loss to the Senators.

Not a pregame delay following a power outage at Canadian Tire Centre. Not an early timeout by Drew Bannister with a prayer of stopping the Ottawa momentum. Not a second-period goaltending change by 最新杏吧原创. And certainly not the giveaways nor the minimal effort level submitted by the Blues.

The end result was the worst Blues loss in nearly four years, and just the fifth loss in the last 30 years of at least seven goals. The last time 最新杏吧原创 lost by at least seven goals was Jan. 15, 2021, when it lost 8-0 in Colorado.

鈥淥ur effort, you can name it, wasn鈥檛 even close to what you need to have at this level,鈥� Blues defenseman Justin Faulk said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e just got to take it head-on, know what happened and you鈥檝e got to move on. That鈥檚 the way it goes. We鈥檝e got to get ready for the next game and just understand what happened tonight and why and just keep going. We all know it鈥檚 not acceptable and it can鈥檛 happen.鈥�

The Blues fell behind 3-0 after the first period, thanks to a trio of Ottawa goals that were delivered by 最新杏吧原创 giveaways in the offensive zone. They were behind 6-0 after two periods courtesy of two power-play goals scored by 最新杏吧原创 native Brady Tkachuk. Three different Senators 鈥� Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and Adam Gaudette 鈥� were on hat trick watch by the end of the game having already scored two goals.

Dylan Holloway鈥檚 third-period, power-play goal sullied Linus Ullmark鈥檚 shutout bid on Tuesday night, but did nothing to change the direction or tenor of the outcome. Joel Hofer allowed five goals before he was lifted in the second period. Ottawa pinned three more on Jordan Binnington.

鈥淥verall, as a group, as a whole, coaches included, that wasn鈥檛 a good enough effort,鈥� Bannister said. 鈥淚nternally, we鈥檙e going to have to figure out what the issues are. We鈥檒l talk about that and move forward. We have an opportunity to go on the road here in Philly and still come off the road .500. We鈥檝e got to figure out right now what our issues are and we鈥檒l move forward.鈥�

Tuesday鈥檚 performance comes three days after another stinker Saturday, when the Blues lost 5-2 in Montreal. The two losses 鈥� outscored 13-3 鈥� dropped the Blues back to .500 with a 5-5-0 record going into Philadelphia to finish the four-game road trip.

鈥淪oft in the battles and soft all over the ice,鈥� Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. 鈥淐ompetitive level wasn鈥檛 there. Turned over pucks, and before you know it, that鈥檚 the score. That鈥檚 two games in a row now where that鈥檚 13 goals by not playing the right way. We鈥檝e got to fix that internally and fast, and finish this road trip the right way.鈥�

Why was the competitiveness lacking?

Schenn: 鈥淭here鈥檚 no answer for that. It鈥檚 there or it鈥檚 not. It wasn鈥檛 there tonight.鈥�

Faulk: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have much of a reason, to be honest with you. There鈥檚 never an excuse or anything for it, so I don鈥檛 have that.鈥�

The Blues figured to handle the heavy-lifting earlier on this trip when they dispatched of the Maple Leafs, 5-1, last week. Eastern Conference non-playoff teams Montreal, Ottawa and Philadelphia remained on the docket, but the Blues instead will try to salvage a road trip that once looked promising.

鈥淲e鈥檙e definitely a very inconsistent bunch,鈥� Schenn said. 鈥淭he way we play together and play the right way in Toronto and then follow it up with two poor games back to back, this league鈥檚 tight and it鈥檚 competitive. You鈥檝e got to come out with an honest effort each and every night and give yourself a chance to win. So far through these past couple games, it just hasn鈥檛 been great.鈥�

Without Robert Thomas due to a fractured ankle that could sideline him until the first week of December, the Blues cannot afford performances devoid of effort. They Blues entered the season as a playoff bubble team with Thomas available, and did not resemble anything of the sort during Tuesday鈥檚 blowout.

Against the Senators, the damage was mostly self-inflicted.

Pavel Buchnevich, Brandon Saad and Jake Neighbours all mishandled pucks that resulted in Senators rush goals. Holloway鈥檚 tripping penalty and Matthew Kessel鈥檚 cross-checking penalty both transformed into Tkachuk power-play goals. Hofer and Binnington didn鈥檛 bail out the Blues when put in poor positions.

鈥淣othing against what they did,鈥� Faulk said, 鈥渂ut we made their night pretty easy.鈥�

Tuesday was the seventh time this season that the Blues faced a multi-goal deficit. Three times they were able to tie the game. Only twice did they win those games.

最新杏吧原创 has now trailed 31:11 per game this season, according to Natural Stat Trick. That鈥檚 more than half of each game, on average, and it鈥檚 the second-highest mark in the NHL. Last place San Jose is the only team that has trailed more often than the Blues have this season.

鈥淲e know we can鈥檛 play like that,鈥� Schenn said. 鈥淲e know we have to play together as a team. That鈥檚 not the effort we need tonight, obviously. It鈥檚 my job to drive the bus in the right direction. That鈥檚 not from a scoresheet perspective, but playing the right way and I got to start leading the team in the right direction.鈥�

It used to be automatic that the Blues would respond well after bad losses. From 2018-22 (four playoff years), the Blues were 6-1-1 in games after losing by at least five goals. In the last two seasons, when 最新杏吧原创 missed the playoffs, it was 2-4-1 in such games.

鈥淎s a group, we have to be more committed, certainly coming off a game we played in Montreal and that鈥檚 us as a whole, the coaching staff are part of that,鈥� Bannister said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just the players on the ice. It鈥檚 the coaching staff and the players. We have to be more committed to playing winning hockey and doing the little things in the game that give you opportunities to win.鈥�