The St. Louis Blues find themselves in a challenging position. Following two losses to the Winnipeg Jets, the Blue Note are down 2-0 as the best-of-seven series heads to St. Louis for Games 3 and 4. History is not on the side of the Blues. In the history of the NHL, only a little over 12% of teams who fall behind 2-0 rally to win the series. It is not impossible, but the Blues have a hole to climb out of. We will look at the Blues rough start to the playoffs and how they can pull themselves out of this hole.
Blues Rough Start
It Has Not Been All Bad
Solid 40 Minutes
The Blues have played 40 minutes of intense hockey through the series’ first two games. During Game 1 on Saturday, the Blues took a 3-2 lead into the third period and had a chance to steal home ice. However, the Jets rallied to win behind a late Kyle Connor goal. Furthermore, the Blues only recorded two shots on goal in the third period. During Monday’s Game 2, after a defensive lapse that led to a Jets goal, the Blues stuck to their game. They tied it on a Jimmy Snuggerud goal in the final seconds of the first period. The game went into the third period tied, giving the Blues a chance. However, another Connor goal proved the winner again as the Blues failed to sustain any pressure in the offensive zone.
Special Teams
In addition, special teams have been a highlight so far. The Blues scored two power-play goals in Game 1 and another in Game 2. On the penalty kill, the Blues have allowed only one goal. Success on special teams is essential to have an opportunity to win in the postseason, and the Blues have given themselves the opportunity to win via their success on special teams.
#50
Lastly, Jordan Binnington has been very good to start the series. He has made many strong saves, including a point-blank save on Connor in Game 1. Binnington has looked comfortable in goal and has given the Blues a chance to win each game. While he has given up six goals in two games, not all the goals have been his fault. The first goal the Jets scored on Saturday, scored by Mark Scheifele, went in off Ryan Suter‘s stick as Scheifele attempted to pass. During Game 2, the Jets first first goal (again by Scheifele) came after a defensive miscue by both Jake Neighbours and Nick Leddy that led to Scheifele getting a strong scoring chance. Despite Binnington making the initial save, Snuggerud skated into Binnington (in an attempt to catch up to Scheifele) and knocked the puck in his net. Of the six goals Binnington has allowed, only three have truly been on him.
Why the Team is 0-2
While the Blues have done things right, there is a reason they find themselves down 0-2.
Young Mistakes
Many young players have made their playoff debuts in the first two games. Sadly, their impact has been negative. During Game 1, Neighbours and Zach Bolduc each took unnecessary penalties. Neighbours’s penalty resulted in a power-play goal, and Bolduc’s penalty negated a Blues power play in the third period of a game they were leading. Head coach Jim Montgomery even acknowledged that the ill-timed penalty turned the tide of the game.
Monty on Bolduc cross-checking penalty: “We can’t take that penalty in the playoffs, I do know that. I thought we killed the penalty pretty good. I can’t say it built momentum for them, but it took us from a situation where I thought we were a little bit in control and then we…
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) April 20, 2025
Game 2 saw Neighbours’s defensive lapse and Snuggerud’s own goal. In addition, defenceman Tyler Tucker made his playoff debut and struggled. Tucker was inserted into the lineup as a physical presence, but the young defenceman could not provide.
Except for Snuggerud, the players who have made their playoff debuts in the first two games have taken penalties. The Blues youth has struggled.
#55 is not 100%
Colton Parayko returned late in the season after missing six weeks due to injury. In two games in this series, Parayko has not looked like himself. The defenceman has no points and has been on the ice for four of the Jets seven goals, including both in Game 2. Furthermore, Parayko got tied up with Binnington the third period of Game 2. Parayko accidentally knocked the stick out of Binnington’s hand, leaving the goaltender helpless on the game-winning goal by Connor.
Parayko at 80% is still better than not having him in the lineup. However, he is not playing like the shutdown defenceman he can be.
#81 is Still Out
Dylan Holloway is still week-to-week with an injury. The goal scorer would provide additional scoring and speed depth in the lineup and another power-play weapon. The Blues are missing 26 goals from their lineup. They would truly benefit from his return.
Can the Blues Get Back in the Series?
Yes, they can. However, their margin of error has decreased. If the Blues were to lose Game 3, then they would have to rely on a four-game winning streak. If they win Game 3 but lose Game 4, the Jets just need to play .500 hockey to advance. Wins in the next two games are critical to turning the tide of the series back in the Blues favour.
The Blues must keep scoring on the power play to get back in the series. Conversely, they need to ensure they are not going to the penalty box and putting a lethal Jets offence on the power play. The Blues would also benefit from putting more pucks on the net. The past shows Connor Hellebuyck can struggle in the playoffs. In Game 1, Hellebuyck gave up two goals to the glove side. The Blues need to get more shots to see if they can get some “soft” goals to flip the momentum of a game and the series. Even if they do not get any soft goals, the team may be able to generate second-chance opportunities. The Blues created one in the first period of Game 1, which resulted in an Oskar Sundqvist.
Above all, the Blues need not overthink and play the game that got them into the playoffs. The team’s playoff path included dominant hockey stretches, highlighted by playing a full 60-minute game. The Blues cannot beat the Jets without playing a full 60, and no one wins in the playoffs without playing a full 60.
Game 3 will be Thursday night in St. Louis. It will be the first playoff game in St. Louis since May 2022.
Main Photo: James Carey Lauder- Imagn Images
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