The St. Louis Blues hit fairly the bitter observe 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 dwelling profitable streak (playoffs included) come to a halt, the Blues take their present on the highway Saturday after they go to the Calgary Flames.
“You clearly need 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) you already know what, it is a lengthy season. We will not dwell on one recreation. Now we have to show the web page, and the perfect half about it’s we’ve a recreation (on Saturday). We are able to go proper again at it and make some changes, and we all know we will be higher.”
There have been stretches when the Blues had been higher than the Wild, together with a sequence wherein they registered the primary 14 pictures 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 resolve Minnesota goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who turned apart all 26 pictures 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. Now we have 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 feel it is actually necessary with younger guys that you just encourage, not discourage, and also you discuss to them about what their strengths are,” Montgomery mentioned. “If we go down to 2 traces as a result of we’re attempting 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 along with guys which were right here earlier than and carried out 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 pictures taking part in on back-to-back nights.
“Early within the 12 months, there needs to be ton of vitality within the tank,” Flames coach Ryan Huska mentioned after Wolf’s 21-save effort on Thursday. “I would not say this was Dustin’s finest recreation, however he all the time provides 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 below his belt — all with the San Jose Sharks in 2023-24.
–Area Degree Media