Nov 7, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer (30) reacts after giving up a aim to Utah Hockey Membership proper wing Dylan Guenther (11) in the course of the third interval at Enterprise Middle. Necessary Credit score: Jeff Le-Imagn Photos The depleted St. Louis Blues will attempt to muster a more healthy offense once they host the Washington Capitals on Saturday night time.
The Blues put simply 15 photographs on aim throughout their 4-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Membership on Thursday. That they had only one shot on aim in the course of the ultimate 11:28 of the sport and didn’t generate a scoring probability whereas goaltender Joel Hofer was pulled for an additional attacker.
“I feel we had been just a bit bit sloppy with the puck,” Blues ahead Brandon Saad stated. “They do job of clogging up the impartial zone. They have a whole lot of pace and ability going the opposite means, so I feel we simply obtained cussed with it and did not get pucks in deep.”
Blues coach Drew Bannister moved Pavel Buchnevich again to the wing throughout Friday’s apply after an unproductive 13-game trial at heart. Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou flanked heart Brayden Schenn on the brand new No. 1 line.
“(Buchnevich) does put a whole lot of stress on himself, particularly offensively,” Bannister stated. “However defensively, I feel he is performed very properly for us. He noticed a whole lot of powerful matchups taking part in in opposition to different groups’ high strains. He is completed an actual good job, however I feel the frustration for him is he needs to contribute offensively on a regular basis, too.”
Accidents have taken a heavy toll on the Blues, who’ve misplaced 4 of their final six video games. Prime heart Robert Thomas seemingly can be sidelined into December with a damaged ankle.
Offensive-minded Torey Krug is out for the season after present process offseason ankle surgical procedure, and fellow defensemen Nick Leddy and Philip Broberg are sidelined by lower-body accidents.
After beginning the season 9-3-0, Washington dropped a 4-2 choice to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night time.
“We weren’t good to start out,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery stated. “We underestimated how aggressive the sport was going to be within the first 20 minutes. Then we obtained caught up within the second and figured it out. So we’re chasing the sport from the beginning.”
Enjoying catch-up was made tougher by the group’s ongoing wrestle with the person benefit. The Capitals have simply 4 power-play targets, and their 8.7 conversion fee is the worst within the league.
“We simply need to discover a technique to proceed to work at it,” Carbery stated. “We going to have to determine a mixture of who these gamers are, what the choices that greatest swimsuit these gamers and their skillsets. We’re nonetheless working our means via that.”
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin noticed his five-game goal-scoring streak finish. Ovechkin has a team-leading eight targets this season to spice up his profession whole to 861, simply 34 shy of breaking Corridor of Famer Wayne Gretzky’s NHL document of 894.
Washington defenseman Jakob Chychrun is near getting back from his upper-body harm. He didn’t play Friday and is questionable for Saturday’s sport.
Since Charlie Lindgren began in aim for Washington in opposition to Pittsburgh, the Capitals seemingly will return to Logan Thompson for Saturday’s sport. After beginning Hofer on Thursday, the Blues in all probability will counter with Jordan Binnington on Saturday.
–Subject Degree Media
