Blues Early Breakdown Costs Them in 6–3 Loss to Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the St. Louis Blues 6-3 on Monday night at PPG Paints Arena. The Blues fell behind early, giving up two goals in the first minute, but fought back to tie the game in the opening period. Pittsburgh regained the lead in the second, and despite a third-period goal from St. Louis, the Penguins pulled away late, including an empty-net goal to seal the win. With the loss, the Blues dropped to 3-5-1, while the Penguins improved to 7-2-1.

The Blues were without key forwards Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours, both day-to-day with injuries, leaving St. Louis shorthanded and missing some of their most creative offensive options. Alexey Toropchenko returned from a seven-game absence but was still shaking off rust early in the game.

First Period

The game couldn’t have started much worse for the Blues. At just 0:39, Rust opened the scoring on a feed from Erik Karlsson, slipping through the slot untouched as Toropchenko failed to apply pressure. Sixteen seconds later, Anthony Mantha buried a pass from Evgeni Malkin to make it 2–0, after Jimmy Snuggerud lost a net-front battle.

The defensive zone coverage in those opening shifts was disastrous — the Blues were disorganized, and slow to react and left Joel Hofer exposed.

But to their credit, the team settled in. At 4:15, Nick Bjugstad got the Blues on the board after defenseman Tyler Tucker made a smart play to keep the puck alive along the boards and thread a pass through traffic to the front of the net. Bjugstad beat Tristan Jarry cleanly from the slot to make it 2–1.

Later in the period, the Blues found the equalizer when Jordan Kyrou connected on a beautiful backdoor pass from Dylan Holloway at 15:43. The quick reaction and timing of the play left Jarry with no chance, and the goal extended Kyrou’s point streak to seven straight games.

After being outshot early, St. Louis turned the momentum around, generating sustained offensive-zone pressure and cleaning up their puck management. The period ended tied 2–2, a strong recovery from a nightmare start.

Second Period

Pittsburgh opened the second period sloppy, turning the puck over multiple times in their own end. The Blues had a few chances early but couldn’t capitalize.

At 6:37, the Penguins broke through on a delayed penalty. With the team unable to touch the puck, Pittsburgh maintained possession with six skaters on the ice. After a series of crisp passes, Parker Wotherspoon found a lane from the wing and blasted a slapshot over Hofer’s left shoulder for his first goal as a Penguin. Crosby and Karlsson picked up assists, and the help gave Crosby his 1,700th combined regular-season and playoff point.

The Blues had a power play midway through the period after Thomas Novak was called for tripping, but despite extended time in the offensive zone, they struggled to generate quality shots. Pittsburgh’s penalty kill stayed tight, closing off shooting lanes and forcing the Blues to the perimeter.

The Penguins tilted the ice late in the period, swarming Hofer with several point-blank chances. The Blues’ puck management deteriorated again, with multiple turnovers in the neutral zone and missed outlet passes that kept them pinned in their own end.

Despite Hofer’s steady play, the Penguins carried a 3–2 lead into the second intermission.

Third Period

The Penguins wasted no time extending their lead in the third. Just 42 seconds in, Rust redirected a Karlsson point shot past Hofer for his second of the game, with Crosby collecting another assist — his 1,700th regular-season and playoff point.

The Blues refused to go quietly. At 4:35, Mathieu Joseph finished off a 2-on-1 rush, choosing to keep the puck himself he went short side to make it 4–3. Bjugstad earned the assist on the play.

For a brief stretch, the Blues looked poised to push back, playing the more physical game and forcing turnovers along the boards. But their execution was not there in key moments. Pittsburgh’s veteran core took over down the stretch, maintaining long offensive-zone shifts and forcing the Blues into repeated icing calls.

The dagger came late in the third. After a turnover high in the offensive zone, Crosby broke free on a breakaway. Hofer made the initial save, but Crosby got his own rebound and roofed it to make it 5–3.

St. Louis pulled Hofer for the extra attacker moments later, but Malkin quickly buried the empty-netter to close out the 6–3 final.

Hofer finished with 20 saves on 25 shots, while Tristan Jarry finsihed with 26 saves on 29 shots.

Takeaways

Early Mistakes: The Blues gave up two goals in the opening minute, putting themselves in an immediate hole. Slow starts like this have made it difficult for the team to sustain momentum, even when they settle into the game later.

Kyrou Stays Hot: Jordan Kyrou’s seven-game point streak has been a bright spot in an inconsistent stretch. His chemistry with Dylan Holloway continues to grow, giving St. Louis one of its few reliable offensive threats right now.

Defensive Gaps Still a Concern: Poor coverage around the crease and slow zone exits continue to haunt the Blues. The Penguins repeatedly found open ice down low and forced turnovers that led directly to goals.

Toropchenko Returns: After missing seven games, Alexey Toropchenko rejoined the lineup but looked rusty in his first game back. His lack of pressure on Rust’s opening goal was a representation of the team’s early sluggishness.

Special Teams Problems: The Blues’ power play went 0-for-4 and generated little sustained pressure. The penalty kill held its own, but the man-advantage continues to lack creativity and movement.

The Blues fell to 3-5-1 and will be back at home to face the Red Wings Tuesday night at 8:15 EST.