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Observations From Blues' 3-2 Overtime Loss Vs. Flyers

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It feels like a script from Groundhog Day when it comes to the St. Louis Blues.

At least when a game goes beyond 60 minutes.

For the sixth time in as many tries, the Blues can’t hammer down the second point, again falling in overtime, 3-2 against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Thursday.

Travis Sanheim’s goal at 3:50 of overtime enabled the Flyers (10-6-3) to erase a two-goal deficit, their third two-goal deficit erased against the Blues (6-9-6) this season. The Flyers won 6-5 in a shootout on Nov. 14, erasing 3-1 and 5-3 deficits in that game.

Justin Faulk scored both Blues goals, his first multi-goal game since Oct. 19, 2022, and Joel Hofer was sharp in goal despite the loss, stopping 25 shots.

Let’s look at Thursday’s game observations:

* No killer instinct – It’s built into an alarming trend this team doesn’t seem to know how to get out of, what winning teams don’t do.

As mentioned above, the Blues have led the Flyers three times in two games by two goals – and lost, albeit in extra time.

Where is the killer instinct? Where was the putting the foot on the throat and extending a 2-0 lead into 3-0, 4-0, like the New York Islanders – who by the way happen to be the next opponent on Saturday afternoon – did against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, winning 5-0.

There were several opportunities with quality chances to not only score, but to get pucks on net.

And for a capper, Jordan Kyrou had a glorious chance in OT to win the game but was denied on the doorstep by Dan Vladar with 2:19 to play.

Jake Neighbours, who returned after missing 12 games and played really well, was denied on a first-period breakaway, and Alexey Toropchenko, whose forecheck helped set up Faulk’s first goal, backhanded a shot wide of the net on a break-in in the second period.

Brayden Schenn, who had eight(!) shots on goal in the game (10 attempts), and Pavel Buchnevich combined for 11 shots on goal in this game; they actually looked good together throughout the game creating opportunities, but consolation prizes aren’t mattering anymore. These two veterans, making a combined $14.5 million in cap space, have combined for four goals in 21 games. It’s just not good enough.

Schenn is a heart-and-soul guy, and you can’t question his grit and determination, and we all know Buchnevich simply isn’t getting the job done offensively, were very noticeable playing with Dalibor Dvorsky Thursday, with a Corsi-for of 22-8. Those are great numbers, but pucks have got to start going into the net. It was probably the best line of the night for the Blues, but the bottom line is results, and finishing was an issue.

And Kyrou, making plays in the game again, had four shots on goal but there was a backhand in front of decided for whatever reason not to sling at the net in the second, and had that glorious chance from Robert Thomas in OT. You have to start finishing.

It’s no wonder the leading scorer on the Blues (Kyrou, Faulk and Neighbours) this season only has six goals in 21 games.

Sure, you credit Vladar for making some quality saves himself, but this group isn’t closing out games and extending leads, and that’s a big reason why their record is what it is.

It started Oct. 25 against the Red Wings, when a 4-0 lead turned into a 6-4 loss; a 2-0 lead against the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 8 turned into a 4-3 OT loss; the 3-1 and 5-3 leads against the Flyers turned into a 6-5 shootout loss and again on Thursday, 2-0 turns into only one point. Just there alone that’s five precious points lost from the bank.

Remember these if this team gets on a run and happens to fall short in the end.

* It was the perfect road game, then a first goal allowed broke a bad seal – Sure, as we mentioned about having the killer instinct to extend a 2-0 lead, but the Blues were getting the kind of road game they wanted for the most part and needed.

That game should have been at the least, 2-0 going into the third period, but there was the breakdown, late in the second period – the Kryptonite period – for the Blues, that gave the Flyers life.

Trevor Zegras, who killed the Blues last week as part of a line with Owen Tippett and Christian Dvorsk, was able to keep a puck alive with Pius Suter, who wasn’t able to kill it initially, and get it down low after Tyler Tucker, who did not have a good game, inexplicably left protecting the ice he needed to try and jump in to help Suter and in essence, left the low slot open for Tippett to quickly tip a puck to Rogrigo Abols, who came in with a whopping two goals in his career, to beat Hofer with 2:03 left in the period and make it a 2-1 game and now it’s a one-shot game:

* Tying goal came off a turnover – Even at 2-1, the Blues were still in good position, but the tying goal came off the stick of Tyson Foerster, off an initial giveaway by Tucker.

The defenseman, who was minus-2 in 11:19 of ice time, was being pressured from behind by Noah Cates, and he was looking for an option on the opposite side, but instead of perhaps protecting the puck in the corner and get help or even slamming it hard on a rim off the boards, he softly throws it behind and around that was picked off and back behind the Blues net. Cates then wins the battle with Tucker behind the net and Travis Konecny is able to win a puck away from Thomas to the point to Emil Andrae, who quickly pivots a pass to Foerster and he one-times a slap shot by Hofer, who was screened by Faulk, to the near side at 11:49 and it was a 2-2 game:

* Hofer gave the Blues a chance – Hofer was strong. He made a number of quality saves and, all you ask of your goalie, is to give you a chance, and he certainly did.

His best save of the game was a highlight reel stop with his glove on a Zegras one-timer on a Philadelphia power play at 8:15 of the third that kept it a 2-1 game:

* Faulk came ready – Faulk had just four goals in 78 games last season and already in his 21st this season and 1,001st NHL game in his career, he now has six and is just one off the NHL lead for defensemen.

He gave the Blues a 1-0 lead at 5:31 of the first period after a solid forecheck by Toropchenko separating Andrae from the puck behind the net to Oskar Sundqvist, who found the D-man at the right point and his shot found its way through with Toropchenko and Nathan Walker at the net providing traffic:

It was a great shift by the fourth line setting the tone.

And on his power-play goal at 12:08 of the first that made it 2-0, Neighbours did what he always does, gets gritty along the wall, does enough to keep a puck free for it to get back to Kyrou, who finds Neighbours low, and the forward’s seam pass to Faulk just inside the top of the left circle gave him a chance for a one-timer:

* Neighbours affect, especially early – Neighbours played 14:13 in his first game since Oct. 25 and you come to appreciate the little things he does that others don’t do on a consistent basis.

He’s always in on the forecheck, making smart decisions with the puck on chips, working, trying to free his linemates up for good ice, things that seem to go unnoticed to go with three hits in the game but was a minus-1.

* Suter, Thomas lines did not generate nearly enough – The reason the Blues had Schenn, Dvorsky and Buchnevich on the ice is because they were creating. The line with Dylan Holloway, Suter and Kyrou, along with Neighbours, Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud did not.

Suter’s line was 3-13 Corsi-against, and Thomas’ line was 5-13. Suter and Holloway combined for one shot on goal, and Thomas, Neighbours and Snuggerud each had one shot on goal.

* Costly miscommunication leads to OT goal – The Blues had an offensive zone draw in Philadelphia’s zone, but Schenn lost it to Sean Couturier, and the two of them were tied up for a bit as the puck was being rimmed around the left. But Cam Fowler made a read to stay with his guy, which was Konecny on a pinch, who easily got to the puck and fed Sanheim for what amounted to be a 2-on-0 with Samheim keeping and wristing the winner past Hofer from the inner slot. The problem was Buchnevich, instead of staying with Sanheim, also went to Konecny and gave Sanheim an open lane to get the pass and move up ice with an odd-man break. Buchnevich could not catch Sanheim, and there’s your game, and another frittered away point:

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