Panthers Vs. Blues Recap: To The Pit of Misery - Dilly Dilly!

Blues Forwards:

Ivan Barbashev - Paul Stastny - Vladimir Tarasenko

Vladimir Sobotka - Brayden Schenn - Tage Thompson

Kyle Brodziak - Patrik Berglund - Alexander Steen

Scottie Upshall - Oskar Sundqvist - Magnus Paajarvi

Blues “Defense” (Term used loosely tonight)

Jay Bouwmeester - Alex Pietrangelo

Joel Edmundson - Colton Parayko

Carl Gunnarsson - Robert Bortuzzo

In Net:

Jake Allen/Carter Hutton/No one/Beer Vendor from section 316.

Game Highlights:

The Blues looked to head into the bye week with a win and some confidence for their starter Jake Allen. What could possibly go wrong? At the start of the game? Nothing as just 40 some seconds in Paul Stastny scored one of his easiest goals he’ll score. Barbashev threw the puck at the net. It bounced around in front for a second. Stastny collected the puck and tapped the puck in. No way Panthers starter James Reimer was getting to this one.

The Panthers cam back with a scoring chance of their own but Allen was there to make the save.

With 12 minutes to go in the first, the Blues made it 2-0 on a nifty play from Tarasenko and Parayko. The teams were skating four on four. Tarasenko received the pass from Schenn. Tarasenko found a streaking and very wide open Parayko who finished and gave the Blues said 2-0 advantage.

In the waining moments of that 2 on 2 the Panthers cut the Blues lead to just 2-1. Leaving Aaron Ekblad all alone in front of the net, you’re gonna have a bad time. The Blues, well, they had a bad time.

Late in the first, the Panthers found their equalizer. The puck was redirected off of Aleksander Barkov’s skate past Allen. Not much you can do about this one, except maybe give at least Bouwmeester some rocket skates.

Never fear Blues fans because your Russian Angel/Jesus/Tank/WhateverTheHellYouWantToCallHimAsLongAsHesScoring is here to give the lead back to the Blues. Ivan Barbashev passed the puck cross ice to a very wide open and still good Tarasenko. Tarasenko’s shot some how found the little room it had to go in.

Moments later the Panthers answered. Robert Bortuzzo slid and carried the puck with him from in front of the net. It somehow got to Vincent Trocheck who just shot the puck back on net from a weird angle. The rebound went out to the middle of the ice. Radim Vrbata was there to collect said puck and put it in the back of the net. 3-3 game.

The Blues were not having the best of nights in the faceoff circle. None better an example than getting scored on off a face off. Barkov won the faceoff against Paul Statsny. Jonathan Huberdeau takes the puck and rifles one past Allen to make it now a 4-3 game.

In case you haven’t had your fill of 4 on 4 Panthers goals...Here is another one from Vincent Trocheck who literally skated around guys just standing there to score.

There is a reason that the Panthers are the number one in scoring short handed goals. Well tonight they did it again. An errant Pietrangelo pass got caught up in Tarasenko’s skates. Colton Sceviour was off to the races at that point on a breakaway. Spoiler, 6-3 and no one can blame Jake Allen on this one. Carter Hutton was in net after the fifth Panthers goal.

PLAY US OFF VINCENT.

Final 7-3 Panthers. Oh I almost forgot the Blues score a goal late to try and give you that false sense of hope. Tonight’s participant? Tage Thompson, who stood out more than others had rang one off the pipe earlier in the game.

The Blues now take the bye week to think about what they’ve done. Or well at least tonight didn’t do. (Show up)

From The Twitter Machine:

Jake Allen is still the starter. For now. Or until he gets fired into the sun, or Ottawa whichever is closer.

“That was disturbing tonight” is being pretty generous coach. More like “that was a fucking trainwreck that a few people couldn’t look away from”

I mean...how can Patches O’Houllihan be wrong??

Welcome to Thunderdome for the next week?

Player of the Game:

The NHL for giving us a break from whatever hell hole the Blues are in right now.