Blues Take a Step Back After Brief Progress

For a moment, it looked like the St. Louis Blues were starting to turn the corner. After a dismal 3–6–1 start to the season, they managed to go 1-1-1 over their next three games — tightening up defensively, generating more shots, and finally finding some rhythm on the power play. But Monday’s 6–1 loss to the Washington Capitals brought those flickers of optimism to a halt.

Through 14 games, the Blues now sit at 4–8–2, and the numbers still tell a discouraging story. The early-season 10-game stretch was plagued by defensive breakdowns, where St. Louis allowed 4.41 goals per game, the most in the NHL, while scoring just 2.90 per contest. Their power play ranked middle of the pack at 20.7%, but the penalty kill struggled mightily at 70.4%. Despite allowing the fifth-fewest shots per game (25.4), their defensive structure and, yes, poor puck luck, often left goaltenders hung out to dry.

The following three-game window appeared to show signs of progress. St. Louis allowed just 2.67 goals per game, good for 11th in the league over that stretch, while bumping their offensive output to 2.67 per game. Their shot generation jumped dramatically to 33.3 per night, third-best in the NHL, and their power play surged to 42.9%. It was enough to show that though they only secured one victory, the team’s underlying play was improving. 

Then came the Washington collapse. The Blues were outshot 32–24, dominated in the faceoff circle (56.5% to 43.5%), and took 11 penalty minutes. Their special teams faltered again, going 0-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the kill. The lone bright spot came from Alexei Toropchenko, who scored the team’s only goal while bringing some much-needed energy to a flat lineup.

Individually, Pius Suter has emerged as a steady contributor, leading the team with five goals and nine points while posting a +1 rating. Jordan Kyrou and rookie Jimmy Snuggerud continue to show flashes offensively, each with four goals and eight points, though both remain works in progress defensively. Captain Brayden Schenn’s tough start has continued with a -13 rating through 14 games, and defenseman Logan Mailloux remains without a point and sits at -12 through nine appearances.

Jake Neighbours, one of the team’s early bright spots, remains sidelined but is expected to return later this month. His absence has left a noticeable gap in the Blues’ forward depth as others are asked to fill larger roles.

The schedule doesn’t offer much mercy with St. Louis traveling to play against Buffalo less than 24 hours after the loss in Washington. With a chance to quickly reset, the Blues will need to find the version of themselves that briefly surfaced during that short-lived stretch of progress. Otherwise, another November slide could define this season before it ever really starts.

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