HC Jim Montgomery pinpoints key factor in Blues’ 5-0 shutout loss to Avalanche

The St. Louis Blues lost 5-0 to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves for his second shutout of the season. The Avalanche is now leading the season series 1-0 against the Blues.

Colorado outshot St. Louis 36-19 and won 42% of face-offs. The Avs scored on 2 of 4 power plays, while the Blues went 0 for 2. St. Louis had eight penalty minutes, and Colorado had four. The Avalanche were strong on takeaways with eight.

Blues coach Jim Montgomery said the team’s mindset was a key issue.

“Just a poor effort by us. We weren't good enough tonight. We need to be significantly better,” Montgomery said, per NHL. “We haven't had the right frame of mind right now with everything that's happened in the last week.”

Montgomery added that the team lacked an aggressive approach and was too focused on past mistakes.

"We need to get back to thinking about being on our toes and being in an aggressive mindset instead of thinking about what's transpired in the past or what can go poorly," Montgomery said.

St. Louis has now lost four straight games and will need to improve its effort moving forward.

Blues captain Brayden Schenn mentions bad start for the loss

The Colorado Avalanche scored four goals in the first period, securing a strong shutout victory over the St. Louis Blues. They completely dominated the first 18 minutes, outshooting the Blues 21-6. St. Louis captain Brayden Schenn talked about the team's performance after the game.

“Didn't start on time. [It's been] multiple games in a row now, and it costs us,” Schenn said, per NHL. “I just think the battle level has to come up early and be ready to start.

“You give them time and space, and you give them opportunities to score goals -- and I'm not just talking tonight, previous games, too -- teams are good, players are good, and they're going to make it happen.”

Jonathan Drouin gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 4:57 after batting Juuso Parssinen’s pass out of the air past Joel Hofer. Martin Necas made it 2-0 at 7:39 with a wrist shot from the high slot. It was his first goal with Colorado since being traded from the Carolina Panthers.

Drouin scored again on a power play at 14:43. Alexey Toropchenko cleared the puck, but it landed on Drouin’s stick, and he fired it past Hofer. Cale Makar added another power-play goal at 17:25, scoring with a wrist shot through traffic. Joel Kiviranta made it 5-0 in the third period.