Three Takeaways From Blues' 5-3 Loss Against Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) moves the puck against St. Louis Blues center Dylan Holloway (81) during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

To call Thursday a huge missed opportunity for the St. Louis Blues would be understating it.

Yes, the Blues have been on a roll and playing well, but they had the stage all to themselves with all their competitors in the Western Conference wild card idle and a chance to pull into a tie for the final spot with the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.

The Blues came into the game with the Pittsburgh Penguins playing 12 of their final 17 games against teams outside the playoff picture, but this has been their trouble spot in not beating these opponents, and it reared its ugly head again with a 5-3 loss to the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.

The Blues (31-28-7), who came into the game on a 7-1-2 run (6-1-2 since the 4 Nations Face-Off), also had the chance to move two points ahead of Utah Hockey Club in the standings but give up a game in the standings and remain two points back, now with the Flames having two games in hand and the Canucks and Utah with one.

Zack Bolduc continues his strong play with a power-play goal, Dylan Holloway also scored in the power play and Alexey Toropchenko scored his second goal in three games, but the Blues could not solve a goalie [Tristan Jarry] who was placed on waivers by the Penguins (27-31-10) earlier in the season but improved to 7-1-0 lifetime against St. Louis, and Jordan Binnington (more on him below) was pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots.

Let's look at Thursday's Three Takeaways:

* Binnington pulled, outplayed by Jarry -- Binnington had been strong his past eight starts, going 7-0-1 in them, including six straight wins with a 2.27 goals-against average, but he was not nearly good enough on Thursday.

With the Blues actually playing a pretty solid overall team game, average goaltending would have been good enough on this night.

On Graves' goal that made it 1-0 2:17 into the game, you can see he lost track of the puck trying to look around to the left point, and teammate Tyler Tucker was there and instead of getting out of the way, could have perhaps blocked a shot, so an argument could be made that someone in front of him could have done a better job. But you'd maybe like to see the back of the skates at the edge of the crease to take away more angle and identify where the puck is. It was Pittsburgh's first shot of the game and only shot they would get for over 10 minutes.

When Timmins scored to make it 2-0 at 2:20 of the second period, you'd like to see Nick Leddy attack the puck carrier and not allow him time and space to move into the right circle, but Binnington was off his angle and didn't look like he was square to the shooter really hugging the post and exposing the far side from a sharper angle.

The third goal by Dewar, a tap-in late in the second at 17:42 was just a missed assignmentafter Bolduc's power-play goal at 11:35 got the Blues back in it, but the goal that saw Binnington pulled, he was beat on the short side on what was changed to a Rust tip from a Rickard Rakell shot from the high slot at 7:15 that made it 4-2, but you'd like a save there, or at least cover up the near side to not give a lane for a tip to get through after Holloway's one-timer from the right circle at 1:26 of the third that made it 3-2 with the Blues' second power-play goal in as many opportunities.

Jarry, meanwhile, made 33 saves and provided the saves needed for a team that was outplayed for most of the game.

* Penguins, minus-40 at 5-on-5, score four -- The Penguins came in allowing the most 5-on-5 goals in the league this season at 163 and were 21st in the league in 5-on-5 goals for at 123, or a minus-40 on the season, which was worst in the NHL.

Yet the Blues were outscored 4-1 in that category on Thursday, and three of those goals came to players that were not named Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. They were done in by first-time goal scorers Ryan Graves and Connor Dewar and Conor Timmins getting his third of the season.

Toropchenko's beauty, a coast-to-coast effort that saw him slice through the Penguins like hot butter, cut the deficit to 4-3 at 8:56 of the third period to account for the lobe 5-on-5 goal.

* Not leading the game after one period -- The stats said it all.

The Blues as a team actually didn't play a poor game; they came out like gangbusters and outshot the Penguins 16-5 in the first period, held a 9-2 advantage in scoring chances and had 6:05 of offensive zone time to Pittsburgh's 3:28 and forced six defensive zone turnovers, yet trailed the game 1-0.

The inability to complete the final phase of scoring on Thursday was something that was in great need, and by chasing the game the entire night, despite having a territorial edge for most of the night, was a bas recipe.

Hear what coach Jim Montgomery, Bolduc and defenseman Philip Broberg had to say postgame.

Penguins Top Blues In 5-3 Thriller To Win Third Straight

Mar 13, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (left) and center Sidney Crosby (87) celebrate a goal against the St. Louis Blues during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

For the third consecutive game, the Pittsburgh Penguins were pretty steeply outshot by their opposition.

And for the third consecutive game, they found a way to come out on top.

The Penguins defeated the St. Louis Blues by a narrow margin, 5-3, for their third consecutive win against a pretty formidable Western opponent. St. Louis came into this game 7-1-2 in their last 10 games and just two points out of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.

After a slow start in the first period - and a good start from the Blues - the Penguins came out for the final 40 minutes and played some pretty solid hockey despite several momentum swings. They were also opportunistic on their scoring chances.

And there were a whole lot of "first goals" for Penguins players as well.

Just over two minutes into the game, defenseman Ryan Graves - who has played in 47 games this season - finally registered his first goal of the season.

Defenseman and newcomer Conor Timmins did a similar thing in the second period, firing a shot past Binnington from the right circle to score his first goal as a Penguin just two minutes and 20 seconds into the middle frame. Blues forward Zack Bolduc scored a power play goal midway through the period to make it 2-1.

However, another Penguins' newcomer, forward Connor Dewar - acquired in the same trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs that brought Timmins to Pittsburgh on Mar. 7 - scored his first goal as a Penguin and his first goal of the 2024-25 season with less than three minutes on the clock in the second period to put the Penguins back on top, 3-1.

Then, Kris Letang took a cross-checking penalty in the waning seconds of the period, which ended up carrying over into the third. The Blues capitalized on their power play yet again - this time getting a goal from Dylan Holloway - to make it 3-2, before Bryan Rust tipped a Rickard Rakell shot to give the Penguins back the 4-2 lead.

The goal was originally credited to Rakell as his 30th of the season, but it was later changed to Rust's.

But the Blues struck back yet again. Alexey Toropchenko registered his third goal of the season after carrying the puck up ice almost 200 feet and skating through everyone for his own breakaway chance.

They were pressuring late, but this time, Rakell notched his 30th goal for good off a feed from Sidney Crosby and on an empty net with 7.1 seconds remaining to give the Penguins the 5-3 win.

Even though the Penguins have been outplayed for stretches during the last three games, they're happy with where their game is at.

"We're competing hard," Graves said. "I think that we're continuously trying to improve and just show a lot of character."

Rakell pointed to the team's leadership as the reason the winning culture and a certain standard of excellence hasn't faded from the room.

"Our leaders in this room lead the way," Rakell said. "It doesn't work here to just not go all the way and just play hard until the finish line."


Here are a few other thoughts and observations from this 5-3 win:

- I really like Timmins' game so far. He plays a low-event, simplistic style of hockey, and it's almost calming watching him handle the puck and position himself defensively.

And he also has the ability to get the puck to the net quickly and decisively. He rifled a shot from the right circle past Binnington for his first as a Penguin, buying everyone Big Macs in the process:

He's providing a defensive conscience to the blue line that has not been present for much of the season, even if he's only doing it in third-pairing minutes. Lots of details in his game.

I'd really like to see him paired with one of the Penguins' younger, more offensive-minded defensemen next season, assuming he is tendered an offer as a RFA. He is a steady presence on the Penguins' blue line with a tidbit of offensive upside himself.

- That pass by Lizotte to find Dewar backdoor was a thing of beauty. 

I realize the third and fourth lines are a wash at this point with the players remaining on this roster. And Karlsson made that play happen in the first place. But Lizotte has shown he is capable of more offensively in a third-line center role this season, and I'm not sure why he was ever moved out of that position in the first place.

Given the Penguins' situation, it's unlikely that Lizotte will have too many chances to play with more offensive-minded players as a third-line center for the rest of the season. However, it's something I'd like to see more of in 2025-26, as I think he and Tommy Novak could make for a pretty good combination.

In any case, the third line was very, very good against the Blues. And Lizotte had two assists.

- I was just getting ready to write that Rakell was "snakebitten" at 29 goals. He had gone three games without a goal, and he was playing like a player who was snakebitten, whiffing on scoring chances and gripping his stick a bit too tight.

Well, he is snakebitten no more.

"I love scoring goals," Rakell said. "Especially with the win tonight, it feels extra good." 

He said it himself: this guy loves to score goals. And with 14 games remaining, he needs four goals to tie his career-high of 34 set in 2017-18 with the Anaheim Ducks. 

I think he's going to do it. What a season it has been for him.

- Good for Graves to finally net one this season. If you're keeping track, he now has two points in his last five games - which accounts for his only two points of the season.

It has been another challenging season for Graves, who has been in and out of the press box despite - generally speaking - playing a bit better in sheltered minutes this year. But it's nice to see him finally getting on the board.

In fact, that was one of the happiest goal celebrations I've seen all season from the Penguins, OT goals and milestone tallies aside.

- If you're still keeping track, the Penguins are now just six points out of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Realistically, the playoffs are a pipe dream. Every team ahead of the Penguins in the standings has games in hand on them, and all of them would have to lose a whole lot in order to even make headway for the Penguins to get back into the race.

But never say never. The Penguins were in almost this exact spot last season when they went on an 8-1-3 run to make things close and, ultimately, miss the playoffs by three points. 

Again, it's highly unlikely. And, frankly, the Penguins are probably better off finishing with a bottom-six pick this season.

Mar 13, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) and goaltender Tristan Jarry (35) and defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) and center Blake Lizotte (46) celebrate after defeating the St. Louis Blues at PPG Paints Arena. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

Here's the thing, though, and I'm going to keep saying it: You simply cannot tell NHL players - competing at the highest level of hockey - that they need to lose hockey games.

Crosby - now just eight points away from clinching an NHL record-20th consecutive point-per-game season with two assists on the night - is the sport's ultimate competitor and winner. Goaltender Tristan Jarry - who earned his third straight win and was solid yet again - is probably playing for his NHL career.

Tell those guys to lose. That won't go over well.


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Watch Stephen Curry become first player in NBA history to reach 4,000 made 3-pointers

Sacramento Kings v Golden State Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 13: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates a three point basket during the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 13, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Joshua Leung/NBAE via Getty Images)

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It's fitting that the basket came on a shot in which Stephen Curry had to relocate a few steps — one of his seamless shooting skills that have brought him to this point.

With a third-quarter 3-pointer where Malik Monk forced him to relocate his shot — and he had to get it off between defenders — Curry became the first player in NBA history with 4,000 made 3-pointers.

The crowd erupted during the next timeout, and a video tribute played on the board.

Curry became the all-time leading 3-point scorer in NBA history in December 2021, when he passed Ray Allen's then-record of 2,973 made 3-pointers. Among active players, James Harden is second with 3,127 3s, and Bucks star Damian Lillard is next with 2,794.

How were the Warriors going to celebrate Curry's milestone?

"What do you get for the guy who has everything? Maybe I'll give him a day off," coach Steve Kerr joked postgame.

The Warriors did celebrate with a 130-104 win. It was not a hot shooting night for Curry overall, as he finished with 11 points and was 2-of-6 from beyond the arc. Draymond Green led the Warriors with 23 while Moses Moody, in a starting role, added 17.

DeMar DeRozan scored 23 to lead a Kings team that misses Domantas Sabonis and what he brings to their offense.

Sergei Bobrovsky hits major milestone, moving into 10th on NHL all-time wins list

Mar 13, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly (44) battles with Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (42) during the third period at Scotiabank Arena. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)

Just like a great hit song, Sergei Bobrovsky just keeps climbing up the charts.

On Thursday night in Toronto, the Florida Panthers veteran goaltender hit another milestone while helping the Cats to their latest victory.

Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots en route to a 3-2 Panthers victory.

The win was Florida’s 41st of the season and give them a four-point cushion atop the Atlantic Division.

It was also the 424th victory in Bobrovsky’s incredible career.

The win placed Bobrovsky in sole possession of 10th place on the NHL’s all-time wins list, moving him past legendary goaltender Tony Esposito.

Bobrovsky now trails the ninth place tendie, Jacques Plante, by 13 wins.

Looking over the list, it’s basically all Hall of Famers. The only non-member of the HHOF anywhere near Bobrovsky (aside from fellow active goalies Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Quick) are Curtis Joseph (seventh-most wins) and Chris Osgood (Fifteenth-most wins).

Joseph is exactly 30 wins ahead of Bobrovsky. Ed Belfour, who holds the fifth-most wins in NHL history, is 60 ahead of Bob.

“He just totally fits our team,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “There's a calm with him in the net for us, and if he gives up one he doesn't like, he usually doesn't give up two.”

It remains to be seen how much gas the 36-year-old has left in the tank, but Bobrovsky has shown no signs of slowing down in recent seasons.

He’s in amazing shape and it wouldn’t surprise many should he remain one of the top goalies in the NHL for another few years.

Bobrovsky has one year remaining on the seven-year, $70 million deal he signed with Florida all the way back in 2019.

What he does after that yet to be discussed.

Between now and then, however, a run at another Stanley Cup or two isn’t out of the question.

We shall see.

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3 Takeaways From Penguins Convincing Win Over Blues

Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins (27-31-10) are not going away quietly, racking up another victory on Thursday night to extend their winning streak to three games, thanks to a 5-3 triumph over the St. Louis Blues at PPG Paints Arena.

Thanks to goals from five different players, including Rickard Rakell's 30th of the year, the Penguins defeated a Blue team trying to claw their way into a wildcard spot in the Western Conference, backed by Tristan Jarry's 33 saves.

Jarry Stops Over 30 Again, Improves to 3-0-0 Since Return

In a worst-case scenario, Jarry would continue his revenge tour, go undefeated the rest of the season, and knock the Penguins out of the top five at the upcoming NHL Draft.

Meanwhile, the club still misses the postseason by a couple of points, but Jarry redeems himself and many players in the lineup play meaningful hockey and achieve personal milestones.

Since starting against the Minnesota Wild, Jarry has made at least 30 saves in three starts while helping the Penguins win three consecutive games.

No one knew if we'd see him again after a reassignment to the AHL in January. However, he's back and has been on a roll, helping his team earn points during the stretch run.

No matter his future, Jarry will do everything he can to refurbish his reputation in the final weeks. 

Rakell Closing in on Personal Milestone

While the hockey world patiently waits for Alex Ovechkin to break the goal scoring record, there's a magic number in Pittsburgh: four. That's how many goals Rakell is away from his career high of 34, set in 2017-18.

Considering how important he's been to the Penguins' attack all season, Kyle Dubas opted not to trade him, the entire team will rally around him in the final 13 games and try to get him five more goals. 

It would be a special moment for him because he could become only the 22nd Swedish-born skater with a 35-goal season. 

Penguins Play for Pride and Win for Themselves

When a team is at the bottom of the standings, there's not much to play for in the season's final weeks. However, these Penguins are doing more than playing spoiler; they are raking up points and reaching personal milestones.

Whether it's captain Sidney Crosby's quest to catch Wayne Gretzky's point-per-game record, Rakell getting within a couple of goals of a new career high, or Jarry making 30 saves look routine, these guys are not rolling over with just a handful of games left.

For those fans who dreaded the slumps and losing streaks, the Penguins are doing their best to reward the faithful who stuck with them through thick and thin by ending the campaign on a high note, giving them some momentum heading into the summer.

As mentioned before, when clicking, Pittsburgh can skate with any team in the league and pick up a win or two. They may not always be pretty, and there will always be some drama like a blown lead, but these Penguins are still competitive with the right personnel.

UConn uses late run to beat Villanova 73-56 in Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinal

Alex Karaban scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half to help Connecticut rally for a 73-56 victory over Villanova in a Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. The third-seeded Huskies (23-9) move on to play No. 2 seed Creighton in a Friday semifinal. The Blue Demons were aiming for the school's first semifinal appearance in the tournament.

Arizona pulls away late to beat Kansas 88-77 in a Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinal

Henri Veesaar and KJ Lewis scored 19 points apiece and Arizona pulled away late to beat Kansas 88-77 in a Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinal at T-Mobile Center on Thursday night. Veesaar came off the bench to sink 7 of 11 shots with two 3-pointers for the third-seeded Wildcats (21-11), who move on to play second-seeded and ninth-ranked Texas Tech in a Friday semifinal. Veesaar scored 10, leading Arizona to a 45-37 advantage at halftime.

Hunter scores 21, No. 10 Clemson battles back to beat SMU 57-54 to reach ACC Tournament semifinals

Chase Hunter scored 21 points, Jaeden Zackery added 11 points and No. 10 Clemson battled back to beat SMU 57-54 on Thursday night for its ninth straight win to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference semifinals. Ian Schieffelin chipped in with nine points and 12 rebounds for the Tigers (27-5), who are seeking their first ACC Tournament title. Matt Cross led SMU (23-10) with 13 points, while Boopie Miller had 10.

Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford to open season on injured list with sore elbow

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford will start the season on the injured list because of soreness in his throwing elbow.

Bradford had an MRI this week that came back clean, but Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters on Thursday the club will shut him down for 10 days to see how he responds. Bradford was scratched from a scheduled start on Wednesday.

Bradford is the second Texas starter to get hurt this week after Tyler Mahle was scratched from a start with forearm soreness. The right-hander expected to start throwing again in a few days.

The 27-year-old Bradford went 6-3 with a 3.54 ERA in 13 starts last season after appearing eight times the year before. He also pitched in five playoff games during the Rangers’ 2023 World Series run.

Devils Down Oilers, Win Third Consecutive Game

The New Jersey Devils have won three consecutive games for the first time since late December. 

Mar 13, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen (34), center Nico Hischier (13), and right wing Timo Meier (28) celebrate the Devils win over the Edmonton Oilers at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

On Thursday night, the Devils defeated the Edmonton Oilers by a final score of 3-2. Goaltender Jake Allen made 31 saves on 33 shots. The team now has an eight-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets in the playoff race. 

Defenseman Brett Pesce opened the scoring three minutes into the second period. Erik Haula won the draw against Adam Henrique. Jesper Bratt made a beeline to the blue line, allowing Pesce to skate toward the net. While Oilers' defenseman Troy Stecher was focused on Haula in front of his net, Pesce found a spot and shot the puck past opposing goaltender Stuart Skinner. Haula and Bratt were credited with the assists.

Halfway through the middle frame, The Oilers' most dangerous weapons tied the game. Leon Draisaitl scored his league-leading 47th goal, with Connor McDavid earning the primary helper. 

Edmonton took a 2-1 lead early in the third period, but it would be short-lived. Bratt tied the game at the 6:50 mark. It was the winger's second shot on Skinner and his second point of the night. 

Less than two minutes later, defenseman Simon Nemec scored his first goal of the season, giving his team a 3-2 lead. It was the youngster's first game back in the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch over the last two. 

"I thought he played a good game," head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Nemec. "I thought he was assertive, moved the puck, killed some plays defensively and a great shot to finish a great sequence." 

With his primary assist on Nemec's goal, Bratt earned back-to-back three-point games. It marked his 100th career multi-point game.

The Devils hit the road and play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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