Blues at Avalanche Game Two Preview

What is the number one key to tonight’s game?

Stay the hell out of the penalty box.

Number two?

Don’t let the Avalanche double you up in shots.

Monday night’s 4-1 loss to the Avalanche was an avoidable rough start to a playoff series that the Blues are already considered the underdogs in. After surviving the first period, and tying the game in the second on a Jordan Kyrou goal, the Blues allowed three goals in the third period. To say that they took their foot off of the gas is underselling the apathy. The team absolutely hung Jordan Binnington out to dry. Binnington finished the game with a .939 save percentage and still lost.

The Blues did some things right - they won faceoffs, they hit, they let Brayden Schenn try to set the tone early in the first period. As the game wore on, that wore off. By the time the post-game press conferences rolled around, Ryan O’Reilly’s “I think we’ll win” to “we’ve got to get our rest.”

Hopefully the Blues (and you!) are rested for tonight’s game, because it starts at 9:30 Central. Craig Berube believes the team will be better, and there are more than enough examples this year of the Blues bouncing back to dominate a game against a tough opponent. On the other hand, there are also more than enough examples of the team knowing what they need to do to fix their performance and not making that happen.

The Blues have ample opportunity to re-adjust and do better going forward. They played well against Colorado this year often enough to give Blues’ fans some hope that there was a chance for a win this series.