Three straight regulation losses. Four in the last six games. Six in the last 11. The St. Louis Blues, a team many have been picking to win the Stanley Cup, are going through a tough stretch, and with the playoffs right around the corner.
“It’s been pretty smooth sailing for us through the year,” said veteran Brenden Morrow after last night’s 4-1 home defeat to Washington, per the Post-Dispatch. “Now we’re finding some adversity, and now we’re going to find out what we’re made of.”
Despite the loss, the Blues still dominated the Capitals in terms of puck possession, as this chart from Extra Skater shows:
In fact, Washington only managed 22 shots on Ryan Miller, with four of them going in. It was the second straight tough outing for Miller, who was traded from Buffalo to St. Louis at the deadline. On Saturday, he allowed four goals on 29 shots in a 4-0 loss to Colorado.
Offensively, meanwhile, the Blues have managed just five goals in their last five games.
“I had three really good looks tonight and didn’t convert on them,” forward Alex Steen said, per the News-Democrat. “I have to be a lot better. I have to be able to put those away.”
St. Louis plays the Wild in Minnesota on Thursday.
Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2014/04/09/3152289/blues-continue-skid-with-loss.html#storylink=cpy