In a 5–2 loss on Monday, the Blues fell to the Predators for the second time in a five-day span. St. Louis also surrendered another hat trick against Nashville, this time to Filip Forsberg. The Blues are now 12-15-7 after dropping another game to a conference opponent.
Hofer Was Out of It
Hofer struggled, allowing several goals that should have been stopped. He finished the night with 21 saves on 25 shots, posting an .840 save percentage.
The Predators took a 2–1 lead early in the second period when Michael Bunting got the puck behind the net and scored on a wraparound. Hofer read the play and was connected to the post, but his left pad lifted off the ice, allowing Bunting to slide the puck underneath. It was a goal that should have been stopped.
Hofer made another costly mistake with 1:15 left in the second period, appearing to lose focus. Reid Schaefer collected the puck at the point, spun, and fired it toward the net. Hofer reacted far too late and seemed unprepared for a shot from that area, allowing the goal. It was his worst mistake of the night and one that should be stopped every time, especially for a team that has already struggled.
Dvorsky Stepped Up
Dvorsky had both of the Blues for the Blues and provided the only offense in the game. He recorded his first career multi point game in his young career.
Dvorsky scored his first goal at 9:54 of the first period. Faulk sent a high flip through center ice that landed on a Nashville player’s stick, but McGing forced a turnover and fed Dvorsky as he came down the slot. Dvorsky pulled the puck, found his spot, and wired it past Juuse Saros to tie the game 1–1. This was his first career 5-on-5 goal in the NHL.
Dvorsky’s second goal came at 11:31 of the third period, cutting the deficit to two. It was a well-executed offensive play. Buchnevich carried the puck into the slot and found Neighbours on the right side of the net, who then set up Dvorsky on the backdoor for the finish. The goal made it 4–2 and offered a small glimpse of hope for the Blues.
The 2023 10th overall pick now has five goals and six points on the season. With several top players out, Dvorsky’s role has become increasingly important, and he’s starting to settle into it.
Limited Offensive Zone Time
While Dvorsky scored two goals, the Blues spent very little time in the offensive zone overall. The second period was especially rough, with Nashville dominating. By the end of the period, the Predators had outshot St. Louis 20–12, scoring three of their five goals. The Blues struggled to generate scoring chances throughout the period, and even when they did create opportunities later in the game, they came in brief spurts rather than sustained time in the offensive zone.
Penalties Made it Harder
The Blues took four penalties in the game, which isn’t a huge number, but the Predators made the most of their power-play opportunities. Nashville scored on one of those chances, while the Blues’ penalty kill did a solid job of withstanding the rest. However, the sustained pressure clearly wore the team down, as Nashville controlled the offensive zone and made it difficult for St. Louis to make line changes.
In the second period alone, the Blues took three penalties while Nashville had none. Even though Nashville only scored once on the power play, the repeated penalty kills took a noticeable toll on the team when they were back at even strength.
Hockey Fights Cancer Night a Success Despite Loss
While the Blues didn’t get the result they wanted on the ice, the team’s annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night was a success. The event honored former Blues color commentator Kelly Chase in his battle with cancer, and a young girl named Bell dropped the ceremonial puck to celebrate being cancer-free. Fans showed up in force to support the cause and celebrate these inspiring stories.
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