For a season opener, the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars had plenty to be excited about.
This one was played as if it was a playoff series, and judging by the way the Blues played for Game No. 1, they were right there toe-to-toe with a team many are picking not only to reach the Stanley Cup Final but win it.
And even though it was a 2-1 shootout loss at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Thursday, the Blues had plenty of good, and some not-so-good things happen to them.
But let's take a look at the three keys that ultimately gave the Blues a chance to win its opener but didn't:
1. Jordan Binnington -- He was good. Plain and simple.
Binnington wasn't bombarded with Grade A chance after Grade A chance and backdoor tap-in after backdoor tap-in like we saw on many occasions last season, but the Stars have a loaded lineup, and when they were presented with high-quality, high-danger chances, Binnington was up to the challenge. Just ask Joe Pavelski, Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston and Miro Heiskanen, to name a few.
2. Penalty kill -- Johnston had Dallas' best chance on a quick forehand in tight late in the second period, and the Stars had three shots with the man advantage but the Blues PK, after going 30th in the league last season (72.4 percent), was a perfect 4-for-4, including killing off the final 43 seconds of overtime with Kevin Hayes in the box for holding.
Nick Leddy and Oskar Sundqvist were key on that 4-on-3 blocking shots, sacrificing the body that preserved the tie. The Blues had 18 blocked shots in the game and Sundqvist had two of them. Torey Krug and Justin Faulk led the team with four each.
3. Missed opportunities -- Yes, both teams had missed opportunities. Both goalies were really good, but in watching that one, the Blues could have used one of their Grade A chances to go into the net and we'd be discussing a different outcome.
Brandon Saad's opening minute chance was a terrific opportunity; Robert Thomas had one off a 3-on-1 late in the first; Faulk had one coming down the chute shorthanded late in the first; Sundqvist's PK effort off a 2-on-1 late in the second was a missed opportunity, and Brayden Schenn and Thomas each had terrific opportunities to give the Blues the full two points but couldn't hit the mark.
