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 Heart. Obligatory Credit score: Jeff Le-Imagn Photographs The depleted St. Louis Blues will attempt to muster a more healthy offense once they host the Washington Capitals on Saturday evening.
The Blues put simply 15 photographs on aim throughout their 4-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Membership on Thursday. They’d only one shot on aim in the course of the last 11:28 of the sport and didn’t generate a scoring likelihood 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 a great job of clogging up the impartial zone. They have quite a lot of pace and talent going the opposite means, so I feel we simply received cussed with it and did not get pucks in deep.”
Blues coach Drew Bannister moved Pavel Buchnevich again to the wing throughout Friday’s follow 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 quite a lot of strain on himself, particularly offensively,” Bannister stated. “However defensively, I feel he is performed very properly for us. He noticed quite a lot of robust matchups enjoying towards different groups’ prime strains. He is achieved an actual good job, however I feel the frustration for him is he desires 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 doubtless will likely 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 evening.
“We weren’t good to begin,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery stated. “We underestimated how aggressive the sport was going to be within the first 20 minutes. Then we received caught up within the second and figured it out. So we’re chasing the sport from the beginning.”
Enjoying catch-up was made harder by the crew’s ongoing wrestle with the person benefit. The Capitals have simply 4 power-play targets, and their 8.7 conversion price is the worst within the league.
“We simply need to discover a option 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 complete to 861, simply 34 shy of breaking Corridor of Famer Wayne Gretzky’s NHL file of 894.
Washington defenseman Jakob Chychrun is near coming back from his upper-body harm. He didn’t play Friday and is questionable for Saturday’s recreation.
Since Charlie Lindgren began in aim for Washington towards Pittsburgh, the Capitals doubtless will return to Logan Thompson for Saturday’s recreation. After beginning Hofer on Thursday, the Blues most likely will counter with Jordan Binnington on Saturday.
–Discipline Stage Media