It was a frustrating Thanksgiving Eve for the Devils. New Jersey (15-7-2) suffered their fourth shutout loss of the season, falling 3-0 to the Blues (10-12-1).
The game’s tone was set nine seconds into the matchup when Blues’ center Robert Thomas beat Jacob Markstrom for an early 1-0 lead. Captain Nico Hischier was tripped off the opening face-off, leading to an early two v. one opportunity that Thomas capitalized on.
Missed calls plagued the Devils in the opening period as well. Just under five minutes later, what looked like a routine line change led to a too-many-men on-ice call, sending the Devils on the penalty kill early. Dylan Holloway capitalized on the call, finding the back of the net right after the penalty expired, doubling the Blues early lead.
After some sustained offensive zone time, the Devils saw the puck back in their own end. Not able to clear the puck as the Blues peppered it at Markstrom, the bouncing puck rolled past the red line off and Jake Neighbour’s stick for the commanding 3-0 lead.
The Devils seemingly found their footing in the second period, firing shots on St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington, but they could not put one home past the netminder, who stood as a brick wall between the pipes.
An early power play provided a chance for the Devils to get back in the game. Although they spent almost the full two minutes in the Blues zone and fired five shots on the man advantage, the Devils could not capitalize on the power play.
The Devils continued to dominate play in the second frame, holding the Blues to just one shot to New Jersey’s eleven, but their efforts were not rewarded.
Frustration surmounted for the Devils in the third as they headed into the final period looking to climb their way out of a three-goal hole. An early unsuccessful power play, back-to-back penalty calls and missed scoring opportunities tormented the team.
The Devils held the Blues in their zone for minutes but could not connect offensively to bury a goal past Binnington. He was the difference-maker, saving all 31 shots the Devils put on him.
The Devils will look to bounce back against the Detroit Red Wings in a matinee matchup on Friday at Little Caesars Arena. The puck is set to drop at 3 p.m.
