3 Takeaways from Blues 5-2 loss to Jets

The St. Louis Blues (5-5-1) were bombarded by the Jets of Winnipeg (6-4-2) in a 5-2 loss on Tuesday, Nov. 7, in St. Louis. It was the Blues' second home loss of the season and their 10th loss to the Jets in their last 12 matchups.

"It boils down to 60 minutes against this team," Blues head coach Craig Berube said, "and we didn't have the 60 minutes tonight."

Here are three takeaways from the Blues' loss over the Jets:

__Mr. November on Ice__

Down 2-0 late in the first period, Robert Thomas scored St. Louis' first goal on a snap shot with three minutes remaining to give the Blues a one-goal deficit going into the first intermission. The center has now scored a goal in each of the Blues' four games in November.

Thomas, who the Blues selected with the 20th pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, was a rookie during St. Louis' Stanley Cup championship run. He led the Blues in assists during the previous two seasons and currently has a team-leading five goals to go with his five assists, also a team-high.

__Winnipeg's aerial strike__

With 37 shots on goal, the Jets were relentless throughout the game. Kyle Connor scored two goals for the second time this season. His first goal came in the second period and his second came one minute into the third period to truly ice the game for Winnipeg.

Mark Scheifele scored the first goal of the game 23 seconds after the Jets were awarded their first of three power plays. Neal Pionk then scored the Jets' second goal of the first period. Cole Perfetti got the last goal of the game on an empty netter.

Four of the Jets' five goals were assisted by Alex Iafallo, who is in his first year in Winnipeg after a six-year stint with the LA Kings.

"We just laid it all on the line really, just using each other," Iafallo said. "They're amazing players. I'm just trying to find the right spots to get them the puck and get the puck as well. It's a fun game tonight with them."

__Missed opportunities for the Blues__

The Blues took only 22 shots on goal during the game, half of which came during the second period. They also got their only power play of the game during the second period but not only went into intermission empty-handed but down 3-1. Since Thomas' goal in the first period, the only scoring from St. Louis came from a Brayden Schenn goal in the third period.

“The second period, we needed more,” Berube said. “We needed to come out with a real purpose in the second period and we didn’t do that. To me, that’s the difference in the game.”

Pavel Buchnevich was one of three Blues skaters to take three shots without scoring. Buchnevich, who has been one of the Blues' leaders in points since arriving from the New York Rangers in 2021, has scored only one goal in nine games so far this season.

"We want him to produce too," Berube said. "He's working, doing a lot of good things without the puck, but we need him to produce. He's got to stay with it. It's gonna come. I truly believe that. We all have belief in him, so it's gonna come. He just has to keep doing what he's doing, get to those areas where you score goals, and eventually they'll start going in."

__Up next__

The Blues welcome back St. Louis native Clayton Keller and the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday, Nov. 9. Keller scored a goal and assisted in another during the Coyotes' 6-2 win over the Blues on Oct. 19, the last meeting between the Central Division rivals. He has 26 points in 25 career games against his hometown Blues.