BUFFALO — In what has been the strangest of hockey seasons, the Blues couldn’t flip the script Wednesday at KeyBank Center.
Eight consecutive losses were followed by seven straight wins. But the Blues couldn’t get to eight, losing 6-2 to the Buffalo Sabres. How to make sense of those two streaks? Well, you can’t.
Those eight losses were so late October. For those Blues fans who wanted everyone but Louie the mascot fired, who wanted the entire roster cleaned out a couple of weeks ago, how are we feeling right now after Wednesday’s defeat? Have we taken a couple of steps back out on the ledge?
Wednesday’s game looked all too familiar to many of the setbacks during the losing streak. Was it a one-off, or a sign of another dip for the Blues?
For those who believe in the old hockey adage that if you’re in playoff position by (American) Thanksgiving, you’ll probably make the playoffs — the Blues remain right on the fringe of a wild-card berth in the Western Conference at 10-9-0.
The Blues welcomed Vladimir Tarasenko and Torey Krug back to the lineup, but Brandon Saad was out due to a non-COVID illness. The Blues are 10-2-0 this season with Saad in the lineup.
Meanwhile, goalie Jordan Binnington remains one win shy of becoming the sixth goalie in franchise history to post 100 victories.
So happy Thanksgiving. The Blues continue a three-game road swing that continues Friday at Tampa Bay and Saturday at Florida.
Quick starters
Buffalo scored three goals in the first 2:13 of play in its 7-2 romp Tuesday over Montreal. Two of those goals came in the opening minute of play — at 35 and 52 seconds.
They were even quicker off the draw Wednesday, when Jeff Skinner scored just 18 seconds into the contest. As such, it marked the first time the Sabres have done so on consecutive days.
Skinner came around the net and from a tight angle seemed to surprise Binnington. Even so, the Blues were a little casual in closing on Skinner — he had more room than he should have gotten, especially considering he’s scored 306 goals in his NHL career.
Over the course of the period, the Blues had more possession time than Buffalo, and had some decent looks. But the Sabres had the better chances, and easily could’ve had another goal. Or two.
During 4-on-4 play, former Blue Tage Thompson waltzed down the slot, maneuvered past the St. Louis defense and had a backhand hit the bottom of the post 6 minutes, 18 seconds into the game. He was staring at a lot of open net.
Bad flashback
During the team’s eight-game losing streak, the second period was usually the one where the Blues fell through the trap door. It happened again Wednesday, when Buffalo scored the period’s last three goals to take a 4-1 lead.
But first, the Blues tied it 1-1 in the opening minute of the period on a power-play goal by Pavel Buchnevich. Just as the first period ended, Thompson was whistled for tripping Nikita Alexandrov. Buchnevich’s fifth goal of the season, giving him four goals and seven assists over his last eight games.
On the play, Buchnevich was net front, but the puck deflected in off Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson 53 seconds into the second.
It didn’t stay tied for long. With the puck in the St. Louis offensive zone, Brayden Schenn was knocked off the puck along the wall by Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. JJ Peterka came up with the puck, and off went the Sabres on a 3-on-1 break. It should have been a 3-on-2, but Niko Mikkola made an early change off the ice. Krug was caught flatfooted as he hopped off the ice, and with only Justin Faulk back for St. Louis, Dylan Cozens scored on the 3-on-1. It was 2-1 Buffalo at the 2:53 mark and the Sabres never looked back.
Two power-play goals followed — by Victor Olofsson and Skinner with his second goal of the night — and it was 4-1. After an 11-for-11 start, the Blues’ penalty kill unit has struggled. They entered the night ranked 30th in the NHL in power play efficiency at 70.7 percent.
So it was a three-goal period for the Sabres, something that happened seven times during the Blues’ eight-game losing streak.
Almost two for Buchnevich
Buchnevich scored his second goal of the night early in the third period, but Buffalo challenged and the goal was wiped out due to an offsides by Tarasenko. So it stayed 4-1, and that was pretty much it for any Blues attempted comeback.
It then became 5-1 when Jack Quinn scored an unassisted goal, capping off a 2-on-1 break with 7:16 left in the game. Quinn did it again late in the game after Krug got caught up ice, leading to another 2-on-1 leading and another Quinn goal with 1:17 to play.
Schenn got a second St. Louis goal 13 seconds later on a rebound goal, his sixth of the season.
Back in action
After playing the first seven games of the season, mainly on the fourth line, Nathan Walker was a healthy scratch for 10 of the next 11 games, including the last eight. But he was back in the lineup Wednesday, taking Saad’s place on the Ryan O’Reilly line. Walker later saw some time on the fourth line as well.
