The St. Louis Blues hit fairly the bitter notice to start 2025-26, getting shut out in a season opener for the primary time within the franchise’s 58-year historical past.
After seeing their 15-game house successful streak (playoffs included) come to a halt, the Blues take their present on the street Saturday after they go to the Calgary Flames.
“You clearly wish to win the house opener in entrance of your followers,” St. Louis captain Brayden Schenn mentioned following his crew’s 5-0 setback to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.
“(However) what, it is a lengthy season. We will not dwell on one recreation. We’ve to show the web page, and one of the best half about it’s now we have a recreation (on Saturday). We are able to go proper again at it and make some changes, and we all know we could be higher.”
There have been stretches when the Blues have been higher than the Wild, together with a sequence wherein they registered the primary 14 photographs of the second interval and appeared poised to chop right into a two-goal deficit. Alas, the momentum was halted as soon as Joel Eriksson Ek scored on the ability play at 12:27 of the second.
St. Louis was unable to unravel Minnesota goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who turned apart all 26 photographs he confronted.
“Effectively one (purpose), we weren’t taking away his eyes,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery mentioned of Gustavsson. “(However) I haven’t got a solution. We’ve plenty of good gamers that rating plenty of targets, and for no matter purpose, we weren’t on our mark tonight.”
Throughout Thursday’s loss, rookie Jimmy Snuggerud was shuffled from the highest line with Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich to the third with Pius Suter and Mathieu Joseph.
“I believe it is actually necessary with younger guys that you simply encourage, not discourage, and also you speak to them about what their strengths are,” Montgomery mentioned. “If we go down to 2 strains as a result of we’re making an attempt to guard a lead, and he isn’t on the market, inform him about it on the bench. ‘It is nothing you did not do, I am simply going to go together with guys which were right here earlier than and performed it earlier than.'”
The Flames adopted up their season-opening shootout win over the rival Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday with a 5-1 drubbing by the host Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
Along with the loss, Calgary defenseman Kevin Bahl departed early within the third after he took a wrist shot to the again of his head. The Canucks promptly scored to take a 2-0 lead, and the momentum modified from there.
There was not a right away replace on Bahl’s situation.
Dustin Wolf has yielded eight targets on 61 photographs taking part in on back-to-back nights.
“Early within the yr, there ought to be ton of power within the tank,” Flames coach Ryan Huska mentioned after Wolf’s 21-save effort on Thursday. “I would not say this was Dustin’s greatest recreation, however he all the time offers us an opportunity to win.”
Backup Devin Cooley is ready within the wings after a less-than-stellar preseason. The 28-year-old has simply six NHL video games underneath his belt — all with the San Jose Sharks in 2023-24.
–Area Degree Media
