The St. Louis Blues came agonizingly close to snapping their losing streak but ultimately fell 3-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night at Nationwide Arena. The defeat leaves the Blues at 3-7-2 on the season, mired in frustration as they search for consistency.
The Blues jumped out to an early lead, thanks to a sharp wrist shot from defenseman Justin Faulk at 3:37 of the first period, assisted by Oskar Sundqvist on a cross-ice feed that caught Columbus goaltender Jet Greaves off guard. But the joy was short-lived; just over a minute later, at 4:38, Charlie Coyle jammed home a loose puck in the crease to knot the score at 1-1, the puck caroming off Faulk’s skate in a scramble.
The second period tilted Columbus’s way, with the Blue Jackets controlling puck possession and testing Blues netminder Joel Hofer repeatedly. Hofer stood tall, turning aside 12 of 13 shots in the frame, but Columbus captain Zach Werenski found the breakthrough at 11:55. From the right dot, Werenski rifled a shot through the legs of St. Louis defenseman Philip Broberg, giving the hosts a 2-1 edge they wouldn’t relinquish. Werenski’s tally not only showcased his offensive prowess—extending his three-game point streak to six points (three goals, three assists)—but also marked his longest goal streak since the 2019-20 season.
St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery praised his team’s defensive habits post-game, noting improvements in structure during the first and third periods. “What I liked was our defensive habits were significantly better,” Montgomery said. “And I liked our first period and our third period.” Yet, he pinpointed turnovers as the night’s Achilles’ heel: “The biggest dislike from the game was too many turnovers, trying to go east-west against a team that had three back all night long.”
The third period brought hope for the Blues faithful, but Columbus struck first on the power play at 5:07. Werenski’s point shot clanged off the post, and Sean Monahan pounced on the rebound for his first goal of the season—and his 600th NHL point (264 goals, 336 assists)—pushing the lead to 3-1. Monahan, a offseason addition to Columbus, admitted the milestone felt overdue. “I feel like I needed one,” he said. “It’s nice to put one in and I mean, that seals the game so that’s the biggest thing.”
St. Louis clawed back with 10:12 remaining when Nick Bjugstad capitalized on a Columbus turnover. Boone Jenner disrupted a Pavel Buchnevich pass, but the clearance found Bjugstad in the slot for a rush goal that trimmed the deficit to 3-2. The Blues poured on the pressure from there, firing 18 shots at Greaves in the period alone, but the 23-year-old netminder was equal to the task, stopping 17 of those to finish with 37 saves overall. Greaves, thriving in his expanded role, reflected on the chaos: “It was a bit busier but I think that’s what you play for, is those moments… I’m just trying to focus on what I can do to help the guys win the game.”
Hofer, meanwhile, posted 32 saves in the loss, earning Montgomery’s commendation for keeping the game within reach during Columbus’s second-period dominance. “(Hofer) was really good tonight,” the coach said. “He gave us a chance in the second period when I thought that they tilted the ice on us. He made several really key saves.”
For Columbus (7-4-0), the victory marked their fourth consecutive win and sixth in seven games, a hot streak fueled by balanced scoring and special teams that flipped the script from early-season woes. Werenski, with a goal and assist, highlighted the collective effort: “It took everyone from our penalty kill to our power play, Jet, everyone throughout our lineup. It’s a big win for us.” The Blue Jackets, who entered the night 1-for-16 on home power plays, cashed in on their first opportunity of the game, while killing off both Blues chances to go 2-for-2.
The Blues now limp into a crucial Central Division matchup against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, desperate to halt their slide. Montgomery remains steadfast in his process-oriented approach: “We’re trying to stay in the moment… the last two games, our process has been good and as we continue to improve upon it then the results will come.” With talented forwards like Buchnevich and Robert Thomas needing to ignite, St. Louis must clean up the little things—turnovers chief among them—to turn the corner before the schedule toughens further.
In a league where momentum can swing on a dime, this one slipped away from the Blues on a night when their fight was evident, but their execution fell just short.
