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The Blues’ Colton Parayko speaks with the media on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, following a home loss to the New Jersey Devils. (Video courtesy St. Louis Blues)
Lightning center Luke Glendening (11) controls the puck between Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich (48) and forward Zack Bolduc (76) during the second period of a game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.
TAMPA, Fla. — If the Blues keep up these results, they might not have a very merry Christmas.
With a 3-1 loss to the Lightning on Thursday night, the Blues lost their fourth game in their past five tries and dropped below .500 for the first time since Jim Montgomery pulled them up from three games under. St. Louis has two more games before the league-wide Christmas break.
Pavel Buchnevich scored for the Blues, as Joel Hofer relieved Jordan Binnington in goal after Binnington was pulled in the second period. Anthony Cirelli, Nick Perbix and Gage Goncalves scored for the Lightning.
Combined with Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Devils, the Blues (15-16-3) have lost two straight games in regulation for the first time under Montgomery. Thursday was the third time in the past four games that the Blues scored just one goal.
St. Louis finishes a back-to-back in Florida on Friday night.
Montgomery yanked starting goaltender Binnington with 6:27 remaining in the second period after he allowed his third goal of the night, this one a shot from the dot by Goncalves for his first career NHL goal.
Hofer replaced Binnington, who was pulled for the first time this season. Before Thursday night, the only time this season that the Blues pulled their starter was in Ottawa, where Hofer allowed five goals before he was taken out.
The Goncalves goal gave the Lightning a 3-1 lead and killed any momentum that the Blues generated with Buchnevich’s goal a minute and 18 seconds earlier that cut the Tampa Bay lead to one. Buchnevich dunked his ninth goal of the season on the back door, smashing a pass from Robert Thomas after the top line was set up in the offensive zone by an extended shift from the fourth line.
Alexandre Texier, Mathieu Joseph and Zack Bolduc held the puck in the zone long enough to tire out the Lightning and allow the Blues to outchange the weary Tampa skaters.
Just 3:42 into the second period, the Blues allowed Perbix to stake the Lightning to a 2-0 lead when he drove to the net untouched and finished off a chain of quick, accurate passes from Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. As the Lightning entered the zone, both Colton Parayko and Nathan Walker shifted toward Point, and Perbix raced past Alexey Toropchenko and beat Parayko to the front of the net.
Walker might have had the save of the night with 2:51 left in the second period, as his last-ditch effort on the edge of the crease prevented a certain Point goal.
Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker received a rough welcome back to the NHL on Thursday night as St. Louis allowed a goal on his second shift of the season, when Cirelli scored at 5:14 of the first period to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead.
Cirelli drove the middle of the ice on the rush and collected a pass from Conor Geekie in front of the net, then lifted the puck over Binnington’s pad. It was Cirelli’s 13th goal of the season.
Cirelli was left all alone when both defensemen — Tucker and Scott Perunovich — surfed to the right side of the ice to defend Brandon Hagel’s zone entry. At the same time, Buchnevich joined them instead of marking Cirelli coming down the middle of the ice.
Tucker was playing in his third game in three nights, having suited up for AHL affiliate Springfield (Massachusetts) in Charlotte, North Carolina, on both Tuesday and Wednesday. He was in the lineup on Thursday night because Philip Broberg was out due to an illness.
The Blues outshot the Lightning 10-7 in the first period and generated a pair of glorious chances on the rush. More than six minutes into the game, Bolduc spotted Walker with a stretch pass from his own zone that sprung Walker on a partial breakaway. When the Blues were killing Brayden Schenn’s cross-checking penalty, Thomas led a two-on-one break with Buchnevich after Buchnevich’s poke check in the neutral zone freed the puck.
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped both Thomas and Walker.
Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) knocks the puck away from Blues forwards Pavel Buchnevich (89) and Jake Neighbours (63) in front of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of a game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.
Blues captain Schenn got in his second fight of the season, dropping the mitts with Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg with 1:02 remaining in the second period. Schenn responded to a neutral-zone hip check by Lilleberg before the pair became combatants.
Schenn was revved up on Tuesday as well, as he attempted to coax Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler into a fight following Siegenthaler’s trip into the boards of Jake Neighbours.
St. Louis Blues left wing Nathan Walker (26) works around Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
St. Louis Blues center Zack Bolduc (76) gets past Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg (78) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
St. Louis Blues center Zack Bolduc (76) steals the puck from Tampa Bay Lightning center Michael Eyssimont (23) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
St. Louis Blues right wing Alexey Toropchenko (13) tries to control the puck after getting around Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix (48) ties up St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko (55) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) celebrates his goal against the St. Louis Blues with defenseman Victor Hedman (77) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
St. Louis Blues left wing Nathan Walker (26) takes the puck from Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) snocks the puck away from St. Louis Blues left wing Nathan Walker (26) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. Defending for the Lightning is Victor Hedman. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) knocks the puck away from Blues forwards Pavel Buchnevich (89) and Jake Neighbours (63) in front of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of a game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix (48) celebrates his goal against the St. Louis Blues with right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) stops a shot by Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
St. Louis Blues left wing Pavel Buchnevich (89) celebrates after scoring past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg (78) gets off a shot after skating past St. Louis Blues center Dylan Holloway (81) and defenseman Ryan Suter (22) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning center Gage Goncalves (93) celebrates after scoring against the St. Louis Blues during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Lightning center Luke Glendening (11) controls the puck between Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich (48) and forward Zack Bolduc (76) during the second period of a game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.
St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer (30) stops a shot by Tampa Bay Lightning center Luke Glendening (11) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg (78) and St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn (10) fight in front of linesman Derek Nansen (70) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
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The Blues’ Colton Parayko speaks with the media on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, following a home loss to the New Jersey Devils. (Video courtesy St.…
Lightning center Luke Glendening (11) controls the puck between Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich (48) and forward Zack Bolduc (76) during the second period of a game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.
Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) knocks the puck away from Blues forwards Pavel Buchnevich (89) and Jake Neighbours (63) in front of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of a game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.
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