Three keys in Blues' 5-2 loss against Predators

Three keys in Blues' 5-2 loss against Predators (2-17-24) (3:34)

A team that is chasing the Blues in the Western Conference wild card standings; a desperate opponent that had been struggling, coming off an embarrassing 9-2 home loss against the Dallas Stars. A chance to really gain some separation on the Predators, a chance to continue to assert yourselves in the playoff race.

Instead, it was another dud performance for the Blues, who were outworked and outperformed by the Predators, 5-2, at Enterprise Center on Saturday.

"We knew it all, right," Neighbours said. "We knew they were going to come out with a push. I thought we weren't bad for the first two periods honestly. We had moments, we had flashes, but it wasn't consistent enough, but obviously in the third they took over."

Now the Blues (29-23-2), who could have moved six points in front of the Predators (28-25-2) in the wild card with a game in hand, now lead by just two points but still with a game in hand.

"Every game's important," Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said. "The next game will be important for us and we'll have to move past this and find ways to win hockey games, find ways not to lose hockey games like we did tonight."

Let's take a look at the three keys to losing to the Predators for the second time this season:

1. Lack of energy/connectivity against a desperate opponent -- The million dollar question for the Blues is how can that be? This was a chance to really step on the throats of an opponent that had allowed four goals or more in six straight games.

Their lead now is down to two points on Nashville, four points on the Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken and five on the Calgary Flames.

"We knew they were obviously coming off a tough game," Blues defenseman Torey Krug said. "Probably a message sent by their organization. They came in here and did a good job. That being said, we lacked support all over the ice. Whether it was in the d-zone breaking the puck out or in the offensive zone, we weren't connected. Big games like that, you just can't do it.

It's a puzzling development coming off an impressive 6-3 win against the red-hot Edmonton Oilers.

"We just weren't really good at all today," Blues forward Jordan Kyrou said. "Timing was off, passing was off. Just wasn't our best game today.

"We had a great game last game and we come out against a team that's right below us in the playoffs and it's a big game for us. We just had a bad game. it's tough."

2. Despite 37 shots, Blues passed up on some prime shooting opportunities -- A pair of 2-on-1's that the Blues either didn't get off a shot or took too long to unload a puck off the stick. Getting little to nothing on the power play despite going 1-for-4 (Kyrou scored on a 5-on-3). The 5-on-4 power plays got little to no pucks to the net. Hesitancy to shoot from the slot. 

Those were some of the prime examples of just what the Blues had and didn't take in this game.

Pavel Buchnevich took too long to crank up a shot off a 2-on-1 with Robert Thomas in the second, then Kyrou had his mind made up he was passing the puck from the blue line on in with Thomas on a 2-on-1, only to have his attempt picked off.

"Yeah no question," Bannister said. "We generated 37 shots, but we passed up probably five quality chances to shoot the puck. I don't think we got pucks through. I don't think we generated one shot on net on the 5-on-4. You have those opportunities, the 2-on-1's, the 3-on-2's, the penalty shot (from Jake Neighbours in the second period), the three other power plays that we had and we didn't generate any shots off that. That comes back to hurt you."

3. No push in one-shot game in the third period -- Even though they were down 2-1, the Blues were on a one-shot game and they have been comfortable playing in those games.

But instead of playing on their toes and in the Nashville zone, the Blues had no pushback, and ultimately fell behind 4-1 in the game, losing it 5-2.

"Yeah, I thought we'd have more jump in our legs where we were at that point," Bannister said. "If we put together 20 minutes, we have an opportunity to win that hockey game and we didn't do it."

"'Binner' [Jordan Binnington] made the stops he had to make to give us a chance to stay in the game," Krug said. "Ultimately, we let him down coming out in the third period. It's tough. You have a chance to win a period in your home building, have a chance to win a game after that and we came out and we just didn't do it."

Two goals allowed were self-inflicted wounds off a d-zone giveaway by Pavel Buchnevich and Marco Scandella whiffing on a backhand keep-in in the offensive zone that led to a breakaway, and still, there was an opportunity to win a game.

If they could just start connecting on the ice for 20 minutes, there was an opportunity. 

"We talked about that in between periods and we still came out and we weren't there for each other," Krug said. "That's a tough one. When you get the puck and you look up and you feel like you don't have any support, it's tough to play that way, and ultimately, the other team's going to turn the puck over and it's going to come back in your defensive zone."