If the Blues are going to re-emerge in the Central Division race, a race they remain firmly on the periphery of, they need to cut crucial mistakes out of their game. And then win some of them.
The Blues lost in overtime to Toronto on Tuesday, 5-4, which while giving them points in seven of their past eight games, also gave them three losses in a row. Five of those eight games have gone to overtime, with the Blues going 2-3 in those games. The Blues have shown they are every bit as good as teams like Vegas and Toronto, which they have been tied with after 60 minutes in their past two games. Just not better than them.
“It’s a good point,” said Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly, “but in the position we’re in right now, how tight this race is, we really needed the two points. It’s disappointing that way.”
“Definitely,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “We talked about that today, just that we need urgency every game. We need consistency every game in how we need to play.”
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Even when the Blues had their recent four-game winning streak, only two of the wins came in regulation. They beat Nashville in overtime and Edmonton in a shootout after tying the game in the final 20 seconds. This was the third consecutive game the Blues have allowed four goals, not counting empty-net goals or shootouts, and the Blues do not want to be in a position where they need five goals to win games.
“Yeah, it’s mistakes more than anything,” Berube said. “I think for sure. We clean up some of those mistakes, we probably win the game.”
Three of Toronto’s five goals were ones the Blues wouldn’t mind having back. John Tavares scored in the last minute of the first period on a goal it looked like Jordan Binnington should have stopped. Toronto extended its lead to 3-1 on a shorthanded goal where the Blues defense was largely absent. And Toronto got the game-winner in overtime where Vladimir Tarasenko was overpowered and had the puck taken from him by William Nylander, who then scored on a breakaway, with Tarasenko hanging his head and then slamming his stick against the goal frame after the play.
Because it was the last mistake, Tarasenko’s may stick in the memory the longest. He had just made a drive at the net but, finding nothing, had retreated toward the neutral zone. Just before Tarasenko got to the blueline, he slowed down and Nylander made a move between Tarasenko and the boards, knocked the puck away, and then simply outraced Tarasenko to the puck and, with Tarasenko unable to catch up, he…
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