{"time":1760072511543,"blocks":[{"id":"ef1UjQnun0","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\nST.\nLOUIS – It’s only one game, right?"}},{"id":"_7JxE9lHfH","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nThat’s\nthe message coming from the St. Louis Blues locker room after a\ndisheartening 5-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild in the season-opener for\nboth teams at Enterprise Center on Thursday."}},{"id":"OUza_Z49-c","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nThe\nBlues delivered a stinker of a result after lots of preseason hype of\nbuilding off of how the team finished in the second half of last\nseason and into the playoffs before falling to the Winnipeg Jets in\nseven games in the first round."}},{"id":"mgkdq5is","type":"video","data":{"url":"https://media-cdn.roundtable.io/media-service/videos/118a3437-4f60-4a7f-afe9-0334ced88bd4/mp4","caption":"","autoplay":false,"controls":true,"muted":false,"stretched":true,"width":0,"height":0,"image":{"url":"https://media-cdn.roundtable.io/media-service/videos/118a3437-4f60-4a7f-afe9-0334ced88bd4/thumbnail"},"cdn":{"videoId":"118a3437-4f60-4a7f-afe9-0334ced88bd4","libraryId":"372172","collectionId":"30032062-eefd-4041-a355-12ad05bc987b","cdnBaseUrl":"https://vz-052fc010-b27.b-cdn.net","mp4Url":"https://media-cdn.roundtable.io/media-service/videos/118a3437-4f60-4a7f-afe9-0334ced88bd4/mp4","thumbnailUrl":"https://media-cdn.roundtable.io/media-service/videos/118a3437-4f60-4a7f-afe9-0334ced88bd4/thumbnail","previewAnimationUrl":"https://vz-052fc010-b27.b-cdn.net/118a3437-4f60-4a7f-afe9-0334ced88bd4/preview.webp"}}},{"id":"XXyw3bYxmX","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nMinnesota’s\ntop line of Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi and Kirill Kaprizov, who on Sept.\n30 signed the richest contract in NHL history (eight years, $136\nmillion; $17 million average annual value), combined for eight points\n(two goals, six assists) and Filip Gustavsson stopped all 26 shots\nthe Blues threw at him, including the first 14 in the second period."}},{"id":"AYKfRK0Anr","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nJordan\nBinnington did not have a good night, allowing five goals on 21\nshots."}},{"id":"vEbnsowfZX","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nHere\nare tonight’s observations:"}},{"id":"hxuI9pZAUI","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"*\nThis game was decided at the net front – Blues coach Jim Montgomery\nhit the nail on the head when he talked about the net front presence\nat both ends of the ice."}},{"id":"ECyZjYKyna","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nThe\nWild were on top of it from their end; the Blues were not."}},{"id":"adDJm_R4Ol","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nFour\nof five Minnesota goals came as a result of being at the net, whether\nit be a rebound, a loose puck or just being in the right place at the\nright time."}},{"id":"jC25f3acEM","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n“I\nthink our habits, special teams, our battle level on 1-on-1 battles\nwasn’t at the level that we expect,” Montgomery said. “And then\nI think the biggest difference was the battle at the net front.\nThere’s a process that we believe in and a lot of those details and\nhabits within our process cost us tonight.”"}},{"id":"TNL-ecpVB1","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nRyan\nHartman, who scored twice, scored the first goal after getting a puck\nby Dylan Holloway’s stick check, then being at the net after Logan\nMailloux, making his Blues debut, couldn’t get enough of the puck\nsliding trying to sweep it away at 15:54 of the first period:"}},{"id":"JMSjUc641k","type":"embed","data":{"service":"twitter","source":"https://twitter.com/mnwild/status/1976449398360940762","embed":"https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=1976449398360940762","width":600,"height":300,"caption":""}},{"id":"DFan9l_ASm","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nThen\nBoldy was parked in front of Binnington and to redirect a Kaprizov\npass off the boards at 17:30 of the first for a 2-0 Wild lead, which\nwas a defensive breakdown and missed assignment of another guy in\ntight:"}},{"id":"tyB8DY2KYi","type":"embed","data":{"service":"twitter","source":"https://twitter.com/mnwild/status/1976452303247782188","embed":"https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=1976452303247782188","width":600,"height":300,"caption":""}},{"id":"4J53q2SxHC","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n\nMinnesota’s\nthird goal, a power-play marker scored by Joel Eriksson Ek, at 12:27\nof the second made it 3-0 and came on the Wild’s first shot of the\nperiod after the Blues put up the first 14. But it was another case\nof funneling a puck to the net and Eriksson Ek being in the right\nplace in tight:"}},{"id":"5Y5djF6M3b","type":"embed","data":{"service":"twitter","source":"https://twitter.com/mnwild/status/1976462242422923485","embed":"https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=1976462242422923485","width":600,"height":300,"caption":""}},{"id":"tV5axsTgaV","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nAnd\non Rossi’s goal that made it 5-0 at 7:27 of the third period,\nanother case of funneling a puck to the net and driving the goal to\ncollect the rebound in the crease:"}},{"id":"B-9fN-PamI","type":"embed","data":{"service":"twitter","source":"https://twitter.com/mnwild/status/1976472793131766052","embed":"https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=1976472793131766052","width":600,"height":300,"caption":""}},{"id":"m0VAM-1MUz","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n“I\nthought through the first two (periods) we did some good things and\nthere's some things that we need to clean up,” Blues captain\nBrayden Schenn said. “… Defensively, got to work on closing plays\na little bit faster. We did some good things tonight, but there's a\nwhole lot we can clean up and grow and get better.”"}},{"id":"xuWtpywG3q","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n\nAt\nthe other end, Gustavsson was seeing the puck because the Blues just\nsimply didn’t get enough bodies to the net. The goalie’s eyes\nwere clear as day at that end of the ice far too often throughout the\ngame."}},{"id":"bVQTAY8Ku6","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n\n“Offensively\nwe've got to get harder in front of the opposition's goalie, that's\nfor sure,” Schenn said. “Nothing against them, but I think we\njust weren't hard enough there ... willingness to go there and make\nit hard on Gustavsson. We had some looks, but they weren't second and\nthird opportunities and chaos around the net. That's obviously\nsomething we've got to focus on here moving onto the next game.”"}},{"id":"MYNrk3x6nw","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n*\nLogan Mailloux had a rough first Blues game – Needless to say, it\nwasn’t the greatest of debuts for Mailloux, playing his first game\nafter being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens on July 1 for Zack\nBolduc. He played 14:12 and was a minus-2 in the game."}},{"id":"m3AbvB3CF_","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nThe\n22-year-old looked jittery when the puck was near him, fumbling it,\nnot playing it cleanly throughout the game. The first Hartman goal\nstarted as a result of Mailloux misfiring a batted puck out of the\nzone that led to the sequence for the goal in which he tried to atone\nhimself with a sliding play but not getting enough of the puck."}},{"id":"2-luHXgBzL","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nThe\nRossi goal also started with a defensive play in which Mailloux’s\npass to partner Tyler Tucker was off the mark."}},{"id":"2g9VgLI9T2","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nThis\nis a process, and there are going to be nights where it doesn’t go\nright and the teaching moments will be there. You have to remember,\nthis was Mailloux’s ninth NHL game, and there’s a long-term plan\nhere, and judging someone’s play by just one game."}},{"id":"6LCV0XmOS6","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nIt\nwasn’t the kind of game Mailloux had hoped or envisioned, but there\nare certainly some teaching moments, that’s for sure."}},{"id":"bEz12Hp1Q3","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n*\nBlues shot selection was not good enough when game could have changed\nat start of second period – The Blues came out in the second period\nwith a purpose. And that purpose was to try and re-grab the game."}},{"id":"vNA2xZRDb4","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nThey\nhad a firm grip on it until the two goals late in the first by the\nWild. They grabbed it back by pumping the first 14 shots on goal in\nthe second period and having a 22-7 edge on the shot clock."}},{"id":"GcvY-_LrNC","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nUnfortunately,\nthe shot selection was not the idea to aim at the Wild logo, which\nthe Blues were adept at doing. If that was the case, they win this\ngame running away. But it also goes hand in hand with not taking the\ngoalie’s eyes away."}},{"id":"LkgTItHRoF","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n“Well\none, we weren’t taking away his eyes, so even if you are shooting\nat the logo, which you are correct,” Montgomery said. “A lot hit\nthe whatever animal that is. And I don’t have an answer. We have a\nlot of good players that score a lot of goals and for whatever\nreason, we weren’t on our mark tonight.”"}},{"id":"fCNseu5sjp","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n*\nTeam play dipped – When the Blues were up 14-0 in shots in the\nsecond period, they had the territorial edge. But an untimely Schenn\nhooking penalty halted the momentum and 15 seconds later, Eriksson Ek\nmade it 3-0 and instead of sticking with the process, the team’s\nplay sagged instead."}},{"id":"e5_wlKmmT3","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nThere\nwas no cohesion, little urgency and the effort level as the game wore\non dipped."}},{"id":"D8o02wsaay","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nAnd\nit reflected onto Binnington, who allowed a poor fourth goal to\nHartman, who made a veteran move count by locking up Colton Parayko’s\nstick with his legs that was not called leading up to it:"}},{"id":"H0oojtHV49","type":"embed","data":{"service":"twitter","source":"https://twitter.com/mnwild/status/1976465884844613864","embed":"https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=1976465884844613864","width":600,"height":300,"caption":""}},{"id":"3eq6-Wo4Gm","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n“It’s\na long season. It’s a journey, it’s a grind,” Montgomery said.\n“You’re going to have nights where unfortunately the score ends\nup like tonight at times. I did think for the first two periods,\nuntil it went 3-0, I liked our game quite a bit. The execution of\nspecial teams and being at the net front I think is why they\nseparated from us. I didn’t like our game after that. Once it went\n3-0, I didn’t like the energy on our bench, I didn’t like the\nenergy that we had on the ice and the game kind of got away from us\nin the third.”"}},{"id":"Ezx-BPb5pF","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n*\nBoobirds already? – The pregame hype was one thing. But that tone\nchanged at the end of the second period when some boobirds could be\nheard, then they grew a bit louder at game’s end."}},{"id":"PNYmoxs401","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\nFor\nGame 1 of 82, that’s way too soon."}},{"id":"4elsGUvEjV","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n“You\nobviously want to win the home opener in front of your fans,”\nSchenn said. “You know what, it's a long season. We can't dwell on\none game. We have to turn the page and the best part about it is we\nhave a game in a day and a half. We can go right back at it and make\nsome adjustments and we know we can be better.”"}}],"version":"2.31.0"}

Observations From Blues' 5-0 Loss Vs. Wild In Season-Opener