The St. Louis Blues (29-26-6) saw their four-game winning streak come to an end with a 6-3 loss to the Dallas Stars (39-19-2) at American Airlines Center on Sunday. Despite outshooting the Stars 42-21, the Blues struggled to convert their offensive chances and contain Dallas' lethal power play throughout all three periods.
Game Summary:
1st Period: Dallas opened the scoring early when Mason Marchment converted on the power play at 1:56. Zack Bolduc responded quickly for the Blues, stuffing in a loose puck to tie the game 1-1. However, Matt Duchene regained the lead for Dallas with a one-timer from the right, and Wyatt Johnston added another power-play goal late in the period, giving the Stars a 3-2 advantage. Dylan Holloway had briefly tied the game 2-2 with a power-play goal of his own through traffic.
2nd Period: The Stars extended their lead to 4-2 when Roope Hintz scored at the start of the second period. Nathan Walker cut the deficit to 4-3 halfway through, batting a rebound out of the air past Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger.
3rd Period: The final frame belonged to Johnston, who netted two more power-play goals to complete his hat trick. His second goal made it 5-3, and less than two minutes later, he scored from the high slot to seal the game at 6-3.
Special Teams Breakdown:
The Stars capitalized on all four of their power-play opportunities, exposing a struggling Blues penalty kill that went 0-for-4 on the night.
"We didn’t execute. We weren’t as aggressive as we have been, and you give a good power play like that time and space, they’re going to make tic-tac-toe plays, and they did that to us," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said postgame.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Mar 2, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; St. Louis Blues left wing Jake Neighbours (63) skates with the puck past Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell (23) during the first period at the American Airlines Center.
Goalie Struggles:
The game got off to a rough start for goaltender Joel Hofer, who allowed three goals on nine shots in the first period. He was replaced by Jordan Binnington, who faced the remaining 12 shots but also conceded three goals.
Notable Performances:
Robert Thomas extended his point streak to 10 games (four goals, 10 assists) with an assist on Walker’s goal.
Despite the scoreline, the Blues generated plenty of chances but lacked a finishing touch and real defensive discipline.
Betting Recap:
Stars ML (-230) hit while the total went OVER the 5.5 line (-125). Eric Sontag's Same Game Parlay did not disappoint.
What’s Next:
The Blues will look to regroup as they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Kings on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. CST. St. Louis currently sits fifth in the Central Division, just one point out of a potential wildcard spot. If the team manages to maintain their offensive production and tighten up the penalty kill heading forward, their playoff hopes are right within grasp.