Blue Jackets breakdown: St. Louis Blues capitalize on costly mistakes in third period

ST. LOUIS — Better wasn’t good enough.

The Blue Jackets were better Saturday against the St. Louis Blues than they were 24 hours earlier at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but they didn’t win. The Blues opened their season with a 5-2 victory at Enterprise Center by capitalizing on Columbus mistakes in the final 9:17 of the third period to turn a tight game into a victory cruise.

The Blue Jackets are 0-3-0 to start the season, have a minus-9 goal differential and three more home games on the docket this week against the Vancouver Canucks, Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins to set right a tilted ship.

“We played a heck of a game here tonight,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “Unfortunately, right now, we’re making really careless mistakes with the puck. That’s cost us. And every time we seem to make it, it’s in the back of our net.”

Vladimir Tarasenko scored two goals and Pavel Buchnevich finished with a goal and assist to lead the Blues (1-0-0), who got their other goals from 20 seconds apart from Ivan Barbashev and Jake Neighbors in the third. Those goals turned a 2-2 game to a commanding 4-2 lead for St. Louis with 8:57 left.

Tarasenko’s second of the game capped the scoring with 1:31 left.

Gustav Nyquist and Sean Kuraly scored the Blue Jackets’ goals 18 seconds apart to knot it at 2-2 early in the second. Elvis Merzlikins made his season-debut in the Columbus net and made 20 saves on 25 shots. Jordan Binnington earned the goaltending win with 23 stops for the Blues.

Here’s a breakdown:

Columbus Blue Jackets at St. Louis Blues: key moments

— Trailing 2-0 in the second after Tarasenko’s first goal, the Blue Jackets mounted a quick and stunning comeback with back-to-back goals by Nyquist and Kuraly. Nyquist scored at 2:21 off a loose puck in the slot, after Gaudreau’s initial shot was blocked. Kuraly tied it 2-2 with a goal on the next shift to cap a rush sparked by Mathieu Olivier’s pass in the neutral zone.

The rally shifted momentum and opened the door for a great period for the Blue Jackets.

“I think you saw an example of what this team can be for spurts tonight,” Kuraly said. “There were spurts tonight of the way we want to play and we can play. We’re just yet to get all 20 of us on the same page and going the same direction. It happened a little bit tonight, but that’s going to be our goal and we’ll get there.”

— Merzlikins, making his first start of the season, was tremendous for most of the game. He made a flurry of big stops in the final minute of the second and also stopped Jordan Kyrou’s backhand off a breakaway with 4:30 left in that period to keep it 2-2 starting the third.

Like rookie Daniil Tarasov, who started the first two games, he was bowled over by a wave of miscues and errors that put him in difficult spots. The goals by Barbashev and Neighbors were prime examples, the first coming off a 4-on-2 rush started by a Blue Jackets turnover in the neutral zone and the second off a turnover in the Columbus zone.

“You want the teams to earn it,” Larsen said. “If they’re going to get it, make them earn it. That’s a heck of a hockey team over there, but it’s just unfortunate that we’re just giving some stuff that I don’t think we need to be giving.”

Columbus Blue Jackets at St. Louis Blues: Quotable

“Yeah, lead it. That’s it. Lead it. Our young guys, all of us. There’s lessons to be learned there, but yeah, someone’s got to lead it and it’s calming your mind in these situations and you’re going to have to work your way out of it. No one’s going to give you a game.”

— Larsen on the importance of the Blue Jackets' veterans to lead the way and end the losing skid.

"It’s tough to feel good about a 5-2 loss right after the game. The third period is something I know we wish we could have back and I know we’re not proud of the way we played in that period.”

— Kuraly on the Blue Jackets taking solace from playing better than a previous 5-2 loss Friday to the Lightning.

“Better effort. Still a few too many turnovers. Better today. Step in the right direction, but we obviously would’ve liked to win here and get two days to get ready for our next home game.”

— Nyquist on the Blue Jackets' third straight loss to open the season.

“St. Louis will get our attention. That’s all I need to say. It’s a team, it’s their home-opener, they’re ready to go. So, we better be awake for it.”

— Larsen during his pregame press conference

“Go take a poll and see if anybody really feels sorry for you ... the other 32 teams. They don’t. So, you can’t sit here and worry about the circumstance. You’ve got to go play and that’s where we’re at, so we’ve got to go play.”

— Larsen prior to the game, when asked about the Blue Jackets playing their third game in four days and facing the much fresher Blues in their season-opener.

"It's inevitable. There’s going to be mistakes throughout the game or throughout the early parts of the season. It’s hockey. It’s too hard for it not to happen, but we’ve just got to control what we can control, and with (defensive) systems, it’s just paying attention and focusing on things. And if there’s a breakdown, we have to control the middle of the ice. We can’t be giving teams free shots in the slot or free shots in those danger areas."

— Blue Jackets defenseman Andrew Peeke on what the team emphasized after a humbling 5-2 loss Friday to the Tampa Bay Lighting in the home-opener at Nationwide Arena.

"You can’t look too far down the road, because it needs to work tonight. We need to be sharp with it tonight, because it’s a huge game. The difference between going back to Columbus 1-2-0 and 0-3-0 is a significant difference in the first 10 games of the season. We have to get ready for it.”

— Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson prior to the game, when asked about the team's progress adjusting to a new defensive system.

Columbus Blue Jackets vs St. Louis Blues: takeaways

— This is where the Blue Jackets’ veteran group needs to forge a path. It’s also the point where they need to remind younger teammates, through example or words, that 79 games remain and the season isn’t over because of three straight losses to open it up.

That said, ending this skid sooner than later is a needed next step. Losing four in a row or more could be detrimental to the team's overall psyche and getting behind the playoff qualification eight ball in the Metropolitan Division this early could be a hurdle too tall to clear — even this early.

“Everybody’s got to be on the train and hop on board, but it’s still early in the season,” said Nyquist, an alternate captain. “It’s not time for panic, but we’ve got to get going here and get a win soon.”

— Merzlikins gave up all five goals, but was in top form for most of his season debut. After missing the season-opener Wednesday at Carolina with an illness, there should be no question about his health.

Merzlikins looked quick, agile and focused, caving in the third under a torrent of critical turnovers that put him in bad spots. He might’ve let his focus dip a bit after Barbashev’s goal, which prompted a slam of his stick on the ice after the puck skipped off his right pad into the net. Neighbours' goal 20 seconds later, however, was lifted over his glove from close range in the low slot — a prime scoring area.

Merzlikins was also hung out to dry on Barbashev's goal, which came off a 4-on-2 rush after turnover on a pass from Adam Boqvist to Zach Werenski that sent the puck straight to Justin Faulk for a "quick up" pass to Buchnevich. Otherwise, Merzlikins was impressive, stopping a breakaway for Jordan Kyrou plus a flurry of scoring chances for the Blues late in the second to keep it 2-2.

— The Blue Jackets’ coaching staff has dabbled for a few shifts with putting veteran right-handed defenseman Gudbranson on the top pairing with Werenski, but those spurts haven't lasted long. It happened once against Carolina and again late in the second period against the Blues, but Gudbranson moved back to the third pairing with Jake Bean in the third.

Gudbranson has struggled in his Blue Jackets’ debut, after signing a four-year, $16 million contract in July as a free agent, but was much better in this game than Friday's 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay in the home-opener. In fact, Gudbranson’s second assist on Nyquist’s goal was thing of beauty. He zipped the puck to Nyquist before taking a hit and watched Nyquist and Gaudreau create the goal.

Gudbranson now has two assists in three games, but his minus-4 plus/minus rating also stands out. He and the rest of the Blue Jackets’ defensemen are trying to adapt to a new defensive system this season, so it’s much too early to pass judgements on him or other Columbus defensemen.

— The Blue Jackets went 0 for 2 on power plays and now have a goose egg in their first eight. They’re struggling to regain the offensive zone with an extra skater after opponents clear the puck, something that's vexed them going back at least several years, and they’re not winning enough faceoffs within the zone to get their 1-3-1 structure set up. It's hard to be successful on the power play if you can't even get set up to establish consistent time 5-on-4 in the offensive zone.

That’s a little surprising with Gaudreau, a one-man breakout, but he’s also getting used to new teammates, coaches and systems. Give the power play a little time too.

— After the Lightning set up shop in the middle of the ice inside the Blue Jackets’ zone Friday, Columbus emphasized during pregame meetings that defending the middle third of their own zone was critical, especially against a "heavy" team like the Blues.

Results were mixed.

There were stretches in which the Blue Jackets forced the Blues to take shots from the perimeter and broke up scoring chances with quick sticks, but the goals by Barbashev and Neighbours were both on shots between the circles after turnovers. Bean tried to poke check Neighbours in the low slot on the second one, but was unsuccessful. The forward got off a backhand that beat Merzlikins over the glove for a 4-2 lead.

“There’s going to be mistakes but we’ve just got to focus on the details and control that middle ice,” defenseman Andrew Peeke said before the game. “When there’s confusion, just protect the house. When you do that, teams are just skating on the outside. Sometimes that’s a win when they’re not getting those high-grade chances, which is a big part of the system we’re trying to adopt.”

— Kent Johnson stayed on the third forward line and played with center Jack Roslovic and Justin Danforth in this game. Danforth moved down from the top line, while Nyquist moved up. That line's usage, especially in the third period, left some unanswered questions. Johnson only played 8:42 of 5-on-5 time despite dominant numbers in attempts for the Blue Jackets during his shifts (13-2) and scoring chances (9-1) during his time on ice.

Roslovic and Danforth had similar numbers at 5-on-5, but the trio only got four shifts in the third. The game was tied 2-2 for the first 10-plus minutes, but it wasn't their line on the ice for the turnover that led to Barbashev's goal or Neighbours' follow-up to make it a 4-2 game. The Blues kept getting their top line out against Roslovic's group, but they seemed to hold their own in limited time.

Columbus Blue Jackets at St. Louis Blues: notes

— Merzlikins was the only new face in the lineup, but Larsen and associate coach Pascal Vincent made changes to their top three forward lines.

Nyquist moved up to left wing of the top line with captain Boone Jenner and Gaudreau, who flipped to the right side. Cole Sillinger moved up to center the second line, skating with Chinakhov at left wing and Jakub Voracek on the right. Jack Roslovic centered the third line with Justin Danforth on the left and rookie Kent Johnson on the right. The fourth line of Eric Robinson, Kuraly and Olivier stayed the same.

— Defensive pairings remained the same to start out as they did the first two games. Zach Werenski worked with Adam Boqvist on the top pairing, Vladislav Gavrikov paired up with Andrew Peeke to form the second and Jake Bean again skated with Erik Gudbranson on the third.

— This is the fourth time in Blue Jackets history they’ve opened a season by playing their first three games in four days. It was previously done in 2006-07, 2015-16 and 2019-20.

The Jackets went 2-0-1 in the 2006-07 start and finished that season with a 33-42-7 record for 73 points. They started 0-3-0 in 2015-16, prompting an 0-8-0 start that ushered in the John Tortorella coaching era. In 2019-20, Columbus went 1-2-0 in its first three games and qualified for the playoffs during a COVID-19 shortened regular season that was concluded in late summer.

— Merzlikins wore his new pads, blocker and glove. All bear the Ohio state flag on the exterior and have a small Latvian flag stitched into the interior of each piece.

The Jackets’ top goalie makes a habit of wearing mask and equipment designs that are both eye-catching and meaningful to him. His rookie season in 2019-20, Merzlikins wore white pads that bore the Columbus skyline on the front in blue.

His masks usually have the Blue Jackets’ mascot, Stinger, and he’s also included the Joker to honor Matiss Kivlenieks — his close friend and former Latvian-born Blue Jackets goalie who wore the Joker on his mask. Kivlenieks died in a tragic fireworks incident July 4, 2021 at the home of Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace.

— Kirill Marchenko and Emil Bemstrom are off to a blistering start for the Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League.

The forwards combined for five goals, two assists and seven points in the Monsters’ first two games, which were each shootout wins over the Syracuse Crunch in Cleveland Friday and Saturday. Marchenko had three goals, one assist and four points, adding a shootout winner in Friday’s game. Bemstrom scored twice Saturday and assisted on a goal Friday.

Other offensive standouts included Trey Fix-Wolansky (1-3-4), Brendan Gaunce (0-3-3), Carson Meyer (1-1-2), Marcus Bjork (1-1-2), Jake Christiansen (0-2-2) and Justin Richards (0-2-2). Goalie Jer Greaves earned the wins in net each game.

Columbus Blue Jackets vs St. Louis Blues: analysis

St. Louis largely owned the first period, taking an early 1-0 lead on Buchnevich's power-play goal, but the Blue Jackets took charge after falling behind 2-0 in the second. The third period was fairly even in terms of measurables, but the Blues broke it open with help from Blue Jackets' miscues.

Here’s a look at a statistical analysis via Natural Stat Trick:

Shots: Blue Jackets 25, Blues 25 (50%)

Shot attempts: Blues 52, Blue Jackets 45 (53.6%)

Power plays: Blues 1/3 (33%), Blue Jackets 0/2 (0%)

Scoring chances: Blues 31, Blue Jackets 26 (54.4%)

High-danger chances: Blues 7, Blue Jackets 5 (58.3%)

Expected goals: Blues 2.99, Blue Jackets 1.90

Faceoffs: Blue Jackets 31/54 (57%), Blues 23/54 (43%)

Hits: Blues 28, Blue Jackets 14

Blocked shots: Blue Jackets 13, Blues 13

Columbus Jackets at St. Louis Blues: Dispatch three stars

First star

Vladimir Tarasenko, Blues, forward

Tarasenko got off to a fast start to the season with his two goals, giving the Blues a 2-0 lead early in the second with his first one and sealing it with the game's fifth goal for his second. He scored on two of just three shots on goal and converted two of three scoring chances.

Second star

Pavel Buchnevich, Blues, forward

Buchnevich scored the game's first goal to cap a power play in the first period, clapping home a one-timer off a nice feed by Torey Krug at the top of the circles. He also was involved on an impressive passing sequence that led to Barbashev's 4-on-2 goal that decided the game.

Third star

Gustav Nyquist, Blue Jackets, forward

Columbus was struggling to gain its footing again until Nyquist ripped home his second goal of the season to cut the Blues' lead to 2-1 early in the second period. Kuraly followed it with his own goal 18 seconds later to really give the Blue Jackets some juice. Nyquist led the team with two high-danger scoring chances.

Up next for the Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus will host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday at Nationwide Arena to (7 p.m.) to start a three-game homestand that includes the Nashville Predators on Thursday and Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

bhedger@dispatch.com

@BrianHedger

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets lose to St. Louis Blues on errors