最新杏吧原创

The Blues scored four total goals in their three losses to Montreal, Ottawa and Philadelphia, forcing them to be perfect in other aspects of the game in order to even try to come away with points. They, of course, have not been perfect.

鈥淵eah, it is tough, but that鈥檚 the way it is when you鈥檙e in a position like we are where we haven鈥檛 played well,鈥� Blues coach Drew Bannister said. 鈥淭he mistakes are amplified and it鈥檚 not easy to get out of these little slumps. We鈥檝e got to work for it.鈥�

On Thursday night, a Jordan Kyrou turnover in the neutral zone led to Bobby Brink鈥檚 game-winning goal with 3:01 left in the third period. Kyrou carried the puck towards the red line before overskating it, sending Scott Laughton the other way. Laughton touched the puck to Brink, who executed a give and go with Joel Farabee while crashing into the net.

An error eliminated whatever space there was left to work with, and the Blues ended their road trip 1-3-0.

鈥淚 just had the puck, I just tried to skate with it a little,鈥� Kyrou said. 鈥淚t kind of hopped on me, and I should have just been more direct there.鈥�

Bannister: 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just recognition of, one, the score of the game and the ice, too. The ice is getting bad at the end of the game. You just have to make a simpler play and just get it in. We were having success putting pucks behind their D and getting it back. Things were happening for us in the offensive zone at that time.鈥�

Nathan Walker scored the only goal of the game for the Blues, tying it up at 1 about midway through the third period. Walker cashed in on a rebound generated by Philip Broberg鈥檚 shot after Broberg protected the puck in the offensive zone.

Jordan Binnington made 19 saves, and was beat in the first period by Garnet Hathaway on the rush.

For the first time this season, the Blues own a losing record, even if it was 鈥渁 step in the right direction鈥� from the losses in Montreal and Ottawa, as Broberg said.

鈥淥ur compete level was a lot higher," Bannister said. "We won more puck battles. We were getting to the interior. We put a lot of pucks to the net and credit to them, they were able to block a lot and we missed some pretty good opportunities.鈥�

The Blues had 28 shots blocked on Thursday night, the most of the season and the most since 最新杏吧原创 had 29 blocked in March 鈥� also in Philadelphia.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e a good shot-blocking team, but at the end of the day, we鈥檝e got to get shots through and get them through the goalie,鈥� Walker said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檒l create rebounds, which will obviously create chances, which leads to goals. It鈥檚 probably something we鈥檒l bring up.鈥�

Bannsiter said the Flyers 鈥渞eally collapsed鈥� in the defensive zone to make life difficult for the Blues.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not from a lack of trying,鈥� Bannister said. 鈥淲hen there鈥檚 a lot of bodies there, it can hit and go one way. It just didn鈥檛 seem to bounce our way right now.鈥�

Thursday night more closely resembled the team鈥檚 performance to begin the road trip in Toronto than it did the previous two games, when they were outscored 13-3.

最新杏吧原创 controlled 59.4% of the game鈥檚 shot attempts at 5 on 5, its second-highest share of the season. It allowed a season-low 21 shots on goal and surrendered just six high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. The penalty kill was a perfect 3 for 3.

The indicators were there for at least a point. Instead, zero.

Hathaway scored at 11:12 of the first period, benefitting from Ryan Poehling鈥檚 work transporting the puck through the Blues. Poehling evaded both Jake Neighbours and Pavel Buchnevich in the neutral zone, and then split Matthew Kessel and Scott Perunovich. Hathaway, meanwhile, beat a coasting Alexandre Texier to the front of the Blues net.

Walker scored in his return to the lineup after he was a healthy scratch for four straight games, jumping onto the ice for Zack Bolduc, and heading straight to the net. Broberg鈥檚 shot from the right wing ricocheted off Samuel Ersson鈥檚 left pad and to Walker.

鈥淚t was a great play,鈥� Walker said. 鈥淗e just made a great read, taking it back in the zone. It was a good change too b Boldy as well, putting me in a good spot. Broby kind of looked at me when he shot it off the goalie鈥檚 pad and he did that with a purpose. That鈥檚 a very smart hockey play by him and I was just fortunate enough that the puck didn鈥檛 bounce off my stick.鈥�

That set up Brink鈥檚 goal as the game-clinching one.

鈥淲e had a hard-fought game,鈥� Kyrou said. 鈥淕reat goal by Walks鈥� line got us back in it. I could have just been more direct there.鈥�

The Blues offense 鈥� currently without top-line center Robert Thomas 鈥� ranks as a below-average one through the opening 11 games. According to Natural Stat Trick, per hour at 5 on 5, the Blues rank 22nd in shot attempts, 21st in shots, 24th in expected goals, 15th in scoring chances and 18th in high-danger chances. They are 22nd in goals scored.

鈥淚t鈥檚 tough,鈥� Kyrou said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e definitely fighting it a little bit right now. We鈥檝e just got to stay with it and just keep going and we鈥檝e got to grind.鈥�

最新杏吧原创 isn鈥檛 helped by a power play that ranks towards the bottom of the league and went 0 for 2 on Thursday night. The Blues (15.4%) are 23rd in the NHL, and produce the third-least amount of shots (per hour) on the power play in the league.

And the skinny numbers on the board leave the Blues with a thin target to hit.

鈥淚 think we played pretty good today, and obviously would like to win the game,鈥� Broberg said. 鈥淟ike I said, you鈥檝e just got to regroup. 鈥� I know this group will come back even stronger for next game.鈥�