The St. Louis Blues keep searching for ways to generate more offense.
They ranked dead last in the NHL in scoring with 2.48 goals per game coming into their home contest against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.
Robert Thomas, defenseman Justin Faulk and Jake Neighbours lead the team in scoring with just 11 goals each. They are the team’s only double-digit scorers.
The Blues scored just seven times while getting swept on their just-concluded three-game road trip through Chicago, Utah and Las Vegas. St. Louis has lost five of its past seven games overall.
“You get one early and just can’t sustain it,” Neighbours said after the Blues fell 4-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday despite enjoying a strong start. “Can’t get it to a two-goal lead or keep the momentum in our favor.
“At the end of the day, guys battled, but there are little things here and there that we have to do better. It’ll sustain more offense and sustain momentum for us.”
The Blues have converted just 16.7% of their power-play opportunities this season, which ranks in the league’s lower tier. While they scored with a man advantage against the Golden Knights, Neighbours noted that they caught a break on the play.
“I still don’t think it’s at a level where we need it to be, if we want to be difference-makers in the game,” he said.
The Blues could be without Philip Broberg on Tuesday. On the same day he signed a six-year, $48 million contract to forgo restricted free agency after the season, the 24-year-old defenseman hit his head on the ice less than two minutes into the game against the Golden Knights. He didn’t play again in that contest, and he was in the concussion protocol as of Monday.
Blues coach Jim Montgomery expressed hope that it wouldn’t be a long-term issue.
“It’s unfortunate to lose Broberg, the team was really excited to play for him after announcing his extension,” Montgomery said. “Unfortunately, he got injured there … He’s doing all right. We’ll have to see day by day here, see how he responds.”
This is the first meeting of the season between the Blues and Hurricanes, who fell 4-3 in overtime to the Red Wings on Monday in Detroit to start their two-game road swing.
Carolina scored three third-period goals to erase a 3-0 deficit, forcing OT and earning a point.
“We’ve been able to (come back) in the past,” Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis said. “Having that in the back of our minds, knowing that it works. It can get squirrelly at times, but we have great leaders here that keep us sane, moving in the right direction.”
The Hurricanes dug in and extended their point streak to five games (4-0-1).
“I think we understand how the game has got to go,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “You don’t really play the score. You play the next shift. There’s a certain way to do things. I felt like when we do that, we’re pretty effective. The score usually takes care of itself.”
Frederik Andersen started in goal Monday night, so the Hurricanes are likely to come back with Brandon Bussi against the Blues. After allowing six goals on New Year’s Day against the Montreal Canadiens, Bussi has yielded just six goals total in his past three games, all wins.
