Takeaways from Blues’ 5-2 Loss vs. Bruins

Second Period Struggles Continue

The Blues have been the league’s worst second-period team, constantly giving up goals while generating almost nothing offensively. St. Louis was outshot 13–3 in the period. After leading 1–0 entering the period, the Bruins scored twice in just 1:46.

Fraser Minten got Boston on the board after a bouncing puck leaked into the crease. It looked like Hofer had a chance to cover it, but didn’t. He made the initial save, but the rebound slid to the back side, leaving Minten with a wide-open net.

The Bruins’ second goal came on a deflection in front, something that has been a recurring problem for the Blues this season. Victor Soderstrom stepped into a lane at the point and fired a shot through heavy traffic. With multiple players from both teams crowding the crease, Sean Kuraly managed to get his stick on it, redirecting the puck and giving Hofer no chance, making it 2–1 Bruins.

The momentum completely shifted here, as it turned into pure domination by the Bruins. The Blues managed just four shots in the period, none of them high-quality chances, and they spent most of the frame chasing in the defensive zone, unable to clear pucks. Coming back after a period like that is difficult, and this has been a problem all season that needs to be addressed soon.

Thomas and Buchnevich Are Catching Fire

Robert Thomas scored both goals for St. Louis, with Pavel Buchnevich assisting on each. Thomas’ first goal came at 5:27 of the opening period after he worked the puck down low to Buchnevich below the goal line. Buchnevich drew a Bruins defender with him, leaving Thomas wide open in the high slot. He fed the puck back to Thomas, who ripped a one-timer into the net.

His second goal came in the third period at 4:51. The puck was sent deep, and Buchnevich pressured the Bruins defender, stripping the puck after an attempted wraparound pass. He quickly fed Thomas in front, who snapped a quick shot past Jeremy Swayman to tie the game.

After the two goals, Thomas now has seven points in his last 10 games, bringing his season total to 20 points (6 goals, 14 assists). Buchnevich’s two-assist performance gives him eight points in his last 10 games and boosts his season total to 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists). Both players struggled earlier this season while playing on the same line, which was a disappointment, but in recent games they’ve started to find their rhythm and build some confidence.

Bad D-zone Mistakes

The Blues struggled in their own zone, losing numerous puck battles that directly led to Bruins goals. In the second period, Boston took advantage of these turnovers and loose pucks, and the problem continued throughout the game.

In the third period, the Bruins took a 3–2 lead after Dvorsky blindly sent the puck along the boards to Zadorov, who quickly moved it in front of the net. Mark Kastelic was there to finish, showing how a single mistake can immediately turn into a scoring opportunity.

Nearly every goal in this game resulted from defensive-zone mistakes—lost battles, turnovers, and poor puck management. Fixing these issues will be essential if the team hopes to compete at a higher level.

Another Injury

Nick Bjugstad was hit by Nikita Zadorov in the second period along the boards. You could see the elbow crush his face into the boards

Bjugstad appeared to get up fine and skated off the ice as if nothing happened, but he never returned to the game. The team announced he would miss the remainder of the game with an upper-body injury, though the exact issue was not specified. It’s another blow for the team, which continues to rely on call-ups from the AHL.