Oilers At Blues: Blues Shoot A Lot, Still Lose 3-0

Remember when I said that as long as the Blues shot the puck a lot on Nikolai Khabibulin, they'd be ok? Forget that. I should have suggested that they just pay attention to what they were doing, play a full game, don't quit on plays, and stop trying to be fancy. You know, the usual.

Too many small mistakes, too many times giving the line of Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins space. That's the last trio that you want to give free reign, but as their combined +9 and eight points evidence, they were handed space on a silver platter. RNH's 2-on-1 (basically a 3-on-1, really) goal was just avoidable if players would have paid a bit closer attention to who had the puck and who was covering whom. Taylor Hall's goal? Players were watching the puck instead of the players. Simple rookie mistakes, except these guys aren't rookies.

It's unfortunate that the Blues blew a good chance for two points tonight, just like they blew that chance Sunday and again against Vancouver last Thursday. You don't get them against beatable teams, you're going to have problems getting them against the tougher ones. The Los Angeles Kings aren't going to give up 43 shots on goal on Thursday, and the Blues aren't going to have chances against the Kings like they did against the Oilers.

Hopefully they convert on the chances that they do have, and hopefully they're more observant Thursday night. They can't afford silly mistakes, and this season's gone on long enough for them to know what to do and what not to do to win.