The Blues ran into a buzzsaw Saturday night, and Carolina treated the matchup like a reminder of why it wears the reigning Stanley Cup champion label. St. Louis fell 4-0 behind Joel Hofer, and the game never really offered much room for debate.
Hofer got the nod over Jordan Binnington because head coach Jim Montgomery wanted his top goaltender in against the best team in the NHL. The Hurricanes turned that into a barrage, and while four pucks got past him, this wasn’t the kind of night that should stick to Hofer in any lasting way. He did what he could for as long as he could against a team that kept coming.
The same can’t really be said for Cam Fowler’s night. It was one of his roughest outings since joining the Blues, and it came after a season that had pointed in a much better direction for him.
Fowler had been looking steadier and more dependable, but against Carolina he was a step behind and finished at minus-1. He never really made himself felt.
Brandon Carlo also had a game to forget on the blue line. He was charged with a season-high four giveaways and ended up at minus-1 as well.
Carlo has been a useful pickup for St. Louis, but the conversation around him is already shifting because of the trade deadline and the crowd of younger defensemen pushing up from behind.
Mason McTavish rounded out the list. He was kept off the scoresheet, which has been uncommon this season, and he didn’t get a shot off either. For the first time, it looked like he simply ran into a defense that had his number.
The loss won’t define Hofer or McTavish, and it shouldn’t be overread for either player. Carolina is where it is because it’s operating on a different level than St.
Louis right now. McTavish will have a chance to respond against Montreal on October 27.
In Other News...
Blues Still Have One Clear Gap Before They Can Chase Contenders
Robert Thomas and the Blues young core still give St. Louis something to build around, but the gap between being a promising team and a true contender is easy to see in matchups like the one with Carolina. Thomas is the face of the next phase for the Blues, and the idea is that his growth, along with the rest of the young talent, can eventually push the club back into the thicker part of the playoff race.
For now, though, the comparison with Sebastian Aho is a reminder of how much more polished top-tier center play can tilt a game. Aho has been the steadier producer, and even in a tight head-to-head setting, the Hurricanes pivot showed the kind of offensive edge St. Louis still needs more of if it wants to close the distance on contenders. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Prospects Are Forcing A Tougher NHL Decision Than Expected
The Blues prospect pipeline kept moving this week, and it came with a familiar dose of roster churn. Theo Lindstein and Dylan Peterson were sent back to Springfield after brief NHL looks, while Aleksenatari Kaskimaki, Otto Stenberg and Quinton Burns were brought up again, a reminder that the organization is still sorting out which young players are ready to stick and which ones need more time in the American Hockey League.
Kaskimaki and Stenberg have already given St. Louis a little something to think about, each picking up points in two games, and the wider system is still producing across several leagues. With prospects contributing in the AHL, KHL, OHL and QMJHL, the Blues are not just watching for development anymore, they are being asked to make harder judgments about who belongs in the NHL picture right now and who is still one step away. [Read more 🡒]
Blues May Be Near A Tough Dalibor Dvorsky Decision
Dalibor Dvorsky has reached the point where his early NHL look is starting to force a hard conversation for the Blues. The high draft pick has shown the kind of shot and defensive responsibility that made him such an appealing prospect, but the offense has not come along at the same pace in his limited games, and his role has reflected that. Jim Montgomery has also made it clear the next step has to come on the attacking side, which leaves Dvorsky in a spot where development and immediate roster value are pulling in different directions.
For St. Louis, the decision is less about whether Dvorsky still has a future and more about where that future gets best served right now. A move to the AHL is very much on the table if the Blues decide he needs more time to round out his game, and that would naturally ripple through the roster as the club considers how to fill the opening. However it plays out, this is the kind of call that can shape both a young player's path and the team's depth chart in the short term. [Read more 🡒]