St. Louis Blues Lose to Devils
The St. Louis Blues fell 3-1 to the New Jersey Devils, ending the Devils' five-game losing streak as Jacob Markstrom made 25 saves. Jordan Binnington returned to the crease for the Blues after his recent absence, but couldn't prevent the team's latest setback as the NHL playoff race intensifies.
For the Devils, the victory was a much-needed reprieve, snapping a five-game losing streak that dated back to the end of January. The win marked their first since January 29, ending a month-long drought for the club. The loss extended a difficult stretch for Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, who now has a personal losing streak of eight NHL games. During that span, he has posted a 4.19 goals-against average and an .844 save percentage, a stark contrast to his silver medal-winning performance for Team Canada at the recent Olympics. Timo Meier's second-period goal, his 16th of the season, was the first for New Jersey in more than eight periods and opened the scoring. Pavel Buchnevich scored for the Blues with just 1:18 remaining in the third period to break up Jacob Markstrom's shutout bid. The Blues entered the contest shorthanded, missing key players Robert Thomas due to a leg injury and Colton Parayko. The team has struggled since returning from the Olympic break, having lost eight of their previous nine games heading into the matchup against Seattle just before this game. As the March 6 trade deadline approaches, the Devils' playoff chances are considered slim. The Blues have already been active, recently trading forward Nick Bjugstad to the Devils.
