ST. LOUIS — Moneypuck.com does the deserve to win meter on all games, and Sunday’s St. Louis Blues game against the Buffalo Sabres did not lie.
All the underlying numbers showed the Blues win this game three out of every four times.
Despite outshooting Buffalo 37-16 and out-chancing the Sabres 17-5 and having a 4.2-2.29 expected goals difference, the Blues were on the short end of a 4-2 loss at Enterprise Center on Sunday.
Brayden Schenn and Nathan Walker scored goals to pull the Blues (17-17-4) even after falling behind by two, only to see their special teams fail them.
It was the sixth time this season the Blues had a chance at a three-game winning streak and fail (0-5-1).
The Blues had all the opportunities to head into Tuesday’s Discover NHL Winter Classic with some serious momentum after wins against the Detroit Red Wings (4-0) and Nashville Predators (7-4).
Let’s dive into the Three Takeaways:
* Special teams are a problem — The Blues can talk about all the momentum they want and all the positivity of building the right way for their special teams, particularly their power play. But they went 0-for-4 with the man advantage and they allowed two man-advantage goals for the second time in as many games, going 1-for-3 on the penalty kill.
They dominated this game 5-on-5, outshooting the Sabres 30-12 but they’re not producing with the man advantage and they’re giving up power play goals.
Needless to say, coach Jim Montgomery was not pleased.
“It’s frustrating. We did a lot of good things 5-on-5,” Montgomery said. “Bottom line for this game is our game management – especially in the third period – wasn’t good enough, and our special teams were not good enough.”
Former Blues first-round pick Tage Thompson scored off a high-slot shot after a puck bounded off the wall that turned into a mini 3-on-2. It was Buffalo’s second goal of the first period on just the Sabres’ third shot.
And after Nathan Walker tied the game 2-2 at 5:56 of the third period, a net front presence goal:
… the Blues took an undisciplined minor when Zack Bolduc cross-checked a Sabre at 9:16 and Jason Zucker scored on a one-time shot from the slot what turned out to be the game-winner at 10:30 of the third period:
The Blues have allowed six power-play goals the past six games, including four in the past two.
“We’re not protecting,” Montgomery said. “Our sticks haven’t been great on the PK. We’re getting seamed. The last goal is a good example of us getting seamed….