Blues loss to Avalanche on late goal in Game 6 ‘tough way to end’ season

They surrendered a goal to forward Darren Helm with 5.6 seconds remaining in regulation and saw their season end in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 of the Western Conference Second Round at Enterprise Center on Friday.

While the Blues are going home, the Avalanche are heading to the Western Conference Final for the first time in 20 years.

“We have to find a way to get that one to overtime,” said St. Louis forward Brayden Schenn, who was on the ice for the winning goal.

[RELATED: Complete Avalanche vs. Blues series coverage]

Instead, Helm launched a speculative shot from the top of the left face-off circle that eluded several bodies and beat goalie Ville Husso cleanly.

“It’s a tough way to end it, but that is the way it goes,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “Our guys battled hard.”

Two nights earlier, in Game 5 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado forward Nathan MacKinnon scored with 2:46 left in regulation to give the Avalanche a 4-3 lead and possibly put the game and the series away. Instead, Blues forward Robert Thomas scored the tying goal with 56 seconds left in regulation and forward Tyler Bozak won it 3:38 into overtime to give the Blues hope in Game 6.

It appeared Game 6 was heading for overtime as well, that is until Helm, in his 15th NHL season, stunned the crowd and handed the Blues their third home loss of the series.

For Helm, it was a signature moment in a long career as a bottom-six forward. In his first 91 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the 35-year-old had scored 11 goals. Among them was the series clincher for the Detroit Red Wings in the 2009 Western Conference Final against the Chicago Blackhawks on May 27.  

The 13-year gap, to the day, between series-clinching goals is the second longest in NHL history behind Adam Oates (16 years).

For the Blues, Helm’s signature moment was a brutal and sudden ending to a season in which they finished with 107 points (49-22-11) and expected a deep playoff run. 

“It’s a really disappointing…