Takeaways from Blues 4-2 Loss to Sabres

This is not how you want to start a game against a team that had won its previous nine games. A turnover like this usually sets the tone for the rest of the night, but fortunately, the Blues were able to respond and create some chances shortly after.

Two Quick Responses

After a tough start to the game, Schenn was able to lift his teammates. At 5:08, he buried a wrist shot after the puck was flipped into the offensive zone. Stenberg made a beautiful touch pass back to Schenn as he entered the zone, and he wired one past Alex Lyon.

Schenn has goals in back-to-back games and now has eight on the season.

Just three minutes later, at 8:09, Snuggerud gave the Blues the lead with an all-out hustle play. Parayko dumped the puck into the zone, and Snuggerud pressured the Sabres defender and stripped the puck. He found Fabbri at the side of the net, who got the initial backhand shot. Snuggerud came around and jammed in the rebound to make it 2–1.

After missing four weeks due to wrist surgery, he responded with heart and hustle.

The Blues got off to a rough start but didn’t let it affect their play, immediately responding to swing momentum in their favor.

Robby Fabbri Earning His Spot

Fabbri was scratched for the previous game as several players are competing for a finalized roster spot, and he made his presence felt on Monday. While he earned the assist on Snuggerud’s goal he did much more than that. He had a first period shift where he delivered three big hits and was everywhere on the ice.

Throughout the entire game, he was looking to hit somebody while also playing his position the correct way. You could tell he was not happy about being scratched, and for the short time he has spent with the Blues this season, he is proving himself early.

Defensive Pairing Problems

Mailloux and Fowler were on the ice for all three goals and struggled defensively. The first goal came after Mailloux’s turnover, and the second was largely on him for making a pass into Buchnevich’s skate, leading to a 3-on-2.

On the third goal, Fowler failed to tie up his man in front, allowing a pass directly to the slot where Zach Benson buried it to give the Sabres the lead in the third.

Not exactly sure what the issue was with this defensive pairing, but Monday night was clearly not their night.

Bad Penalties Late

Heading into the third, down 3-2, the Blues needed to generate some momentum to give themselves a chance. But as they were trying to build it, penalties killed any opportunity. At 9:38, Faulk was called for interference, and later at 15:55, Buchnevich was called for high-sticking.

Both penalties put huge pressure on the penalty kill, and while the Blues did their best to hold, the shorthanded situations wore them down and made it difficult to mount a comeback.