NHL
Game 1: St. Louis Blues Fall to Winnipeg 5-1
To open the 2018-19 season, the Winnipeg Jets flew into town to play the St. Louis Blues at the newly named Enterprise Center. Puck drop was set for 7:00pm with the Pregame festivities on the ice starting just around 6:40pm.
The pregame show was great and it got the fans excited for this season. Then Public Announcer Tom Calhoun introduced all the team doctors, coaching staff and lastly the players. Leading the team on the ice was St. Louisan Patrick Maroon. All the players were on the ice except for one. The Captain. When Alex Pietrangelo was announced, it had hit me. It was finally hockey season.
Puck Drop
After the beautiful National Anthems performed by Charles Glenn and Organist Jeremy Boyer, the puck was in the hand of the Official at center ice. The Blues had their line of Jaden Schwartz, Braden Schenn, Jordan Kyrou taking the opening draw. Winnipeg had the top line out for the opening faceoff.
The pace was fast and the energy was apparent from both sides. This was going to be a close game all game long. But things changed and we will get into that.
1st Period
The Blues had the first two shots of the game followed by a speedy transition with a fake shot then cut to the middle Nikolaj Ehlers. Ehlers shot the puck and Allen had his first save of the year.
With 16:50 left in the first, Jay Bouwmeester took a wicked wrister that was tipped in front and rung the iron. As the puck knocked off the post it was collected and cleared off the glass by the Mark Scheifele. He played the puck off the wall to a teammate and picked up the puck in the neutral zone after a poke check. With his speed, Scheifele darted in between the split Bouwmeester and Pietrangelo. Bouwmeester turned around and got his stick up near the hands of Scheifele. The Referee caught it and smacked Jay Bouwmeester with a hooking penalty 3:29 into the hockey game.
Breaking into the zone with 16:04 to go, a pass across the ice kicked back by Chris Butler. After the kick, the puck looked to have come out of the zone when picked up by Mark Scheifele. Blues players on the bench were yelling offsides. Scheifele carried it to the middle of the Blues’ zone and dished it to Patik Laine. Jake Allen was set to the shot when Laine fired a wrist shot. The shot deflected off of Colton Parayko’s knee and into the net.
WPG Goal: Patrik Laine (1) Assisted By: Mark Scheifele (1) and Blake Wheeler (1) 1-0 Jets
Later in the First, Alex Pietrangelo tried to clear the puck when he fell on the ice and handed the puck to Blake Wheeler who dumped the puck in. Trying to turn to chase the puck, Bouwmeester trips and falls allowing Patrik Laine to get to it first as Jake Allen was fishing for it nearly out of the trapezoid. Laine threw it in front to Ehlers who shot it to the wide open net but the puck was blocked by Bouwmeester.
At the end of the first, the score was 1-0 in favor of the Winnipeg Jets.
2nd Period
Both goalies were solid during the second period. Connor Hellebuyck held the fort down by stopping the 12 shot barrage by the Blues. For every shot, Hellebuyck had the answer. It was like watching kids shoot at a brick wall.
The Blues had two powerplays in the period. The first PP line of Maroon-O’Reilly-Bozak looked good with Parayko and Tarasenko on the blue line. The second group did not look as good but were still playing strong.
After 2, the score remained 1-0 Winnipeg with the shots in favor of the Blues 22-17.
3rd Period
14: 25 to go in the period, the Blues were on the power play yet again. This time Pietrangelo faked a shot and gave it to Perron who passed the puck across to Steen who shot the puck. Hellebuyck made an amazing save as the puck bounced around the corner to Alexander Steen. He threw it to Pietrangelo but missed by a mile. Pietrangelo dove to keep the puck in and missed. As Pietrangelo popped up, Adam Lowry swooped by and picked up the puck shorthanded. Lowry had a shorthanded break away and put the puck right between Jake Allen’s legs for a five-hole, shorthanded, breakaway goal.
WPG Goal: Adam Lowry (1) Unassisted 2-0 Jets
Cue the defensive breakdown. Just over a minute later at on the last seconds of the same power play, Vince Dunn was breaking into the zone when the puck was knocked off his stick. Kyle Connor broke into the zone uncontested and dished the biscuit to Blake Wheeler who tapped it in. The three Blues players back were all forwards; Bozak, Maroon and O’Reilly. This goal was not shorthanded but the Blues PP unit was still on the ice.
WPG Goal: Blake Wheeler (1) Assisted By: Kyle Connor (1) and Mark Scheifele (2) 3-0 Jets
Just a minute later, the defense had yet another unacceptable breakdown. This time it was Bouwmeester trying to clear the zone when Kyle Connor forced a turnover by applying the smallest amount of pressure. Laine stole the puck and played it back to Trouba. Connor had snuck around Bouwmeester and was alone in front. Trouba shot the puck and Kyle Connor tipped it in behind Allen. 4-0.
WPG Goal: Kyle Connor (1) Assisted By: Jacob Trouba (1) and Patrik Laine (1) 4-0 Jets
Just passed the halfway point of the last period of regulation, the Jets transitioned from their own zone out. Jack Roslovic hit Brandon Tanev who was in on a partial break. Tanev backhanded the puck off of Allen and up into the air. The puck came down on the goal line and Robert Thomas made the save of the game… or so we thought until just 30 seconds later the horn sounded to notify a call from Toronto. Upon review, the puck was past the goal line by a puck length and the goal was counted. 5-0.
WPG Goal: Brandon Tanev (1) Assisted By: Jack Roslovic (1) and Kristian Vesalainen (1) 5-0 Jets
Now there is just under six minutes to go in a lost game. The Blues are applying pressure to Hellebuyck and the Jets. The puck bounces around in the front and was stolen by Bozak who swings it to O’Reilly form behind the net. The puck hits O’Reilly’s stick and goes into the wheelhouse of Vince Dunn. Dunn one-times a wrist shot into the back of the net for a BLUUUEESSS GOAL. And the fans get to hear the new goal song.
STL Goal: Vince Dunn (1) Assisted By: Ryan O’Reilly (1) and Tyler Bozak (1) 5-1 Jets
Final: Winnipeg 5 – St. Louis 1
The Blues played good when they were not breaking down defensively. I think the D-pairings still need to be changed but it will all come with time. As for Allen, he can’t be the only person to blame for the game. Yes, he should have saved one or two of the shots but there is nothing he can do when the puck is tipped point blank in front of him.
Thoughts
- Fix the Power play. The Blues Power play was 0-for-3 tonight but looked good. They need to get a man (Maroon?) in front of the net the whole time. The last power play the Blues had, Maroon was trying the same thing by standing next to the goalie, which is not going to do much.
- DON’T give the 4th line too much ice time. The Blues’ 4th line looked like they were playing the majority of the time.
- Separate Chris Butler and Jordan Schmaltz. These are the two weakest defensemen the Blues have on the roster. Tonight they decided to play the two together. Things will be better though when, Edmundson and Gunnarsson are back from the IR and Bortuzzo’s suspension ends.
What’s Ahead?
The St. Louis Blues play the Chicago Blackhawks at home on Saturday (10/6) at 7:00pm
Other News
- St. Louis Blues Recall Chris Thorburn from San Antonio while assigning Niko Mikkola to the Rampage.
Social Media
Follow Jared on Twitter @jared_pettus_00
Photo Credit
Photo Courtesy of Scott
