ST. LOUIS -- Blues coach Ken Hitchcock expects his team to have the depth, talent and endurance to wear out opponents and win games in the third period.
The well-rested Blues lived up to that potential Thursday night in Los Angeles, except for one thing. They simply couldn't put the puck in the net.
Ian Cole hit the crossbar in the second period, T.J. Oshie hit the right post, and countless other great opportunities got denied by the wall wearing Jonathan Quick's jersey. The veteran Kings goaltender stopped all 43 shots in 65 minutes of game time, plus the shootout efforts of Oshie, Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko.
St. Louis outshot LA, 43-18, and certainly deserved its first win in its last 14 games in Southern California. Instead, the Blues had to settle for a single point in a shootout loss featuring a shocking amount of end-to-end action for a game that saw the puck go into the net only once -- on Jeff Carter's goal to open the shootout.
NO SLOW START
The Blues didn't waste time erasing any doubts about whether they'd be able to play at a high level after four days off prior to their first road game of the season against the defending Stanley Cup champs.
A two-minute roughing penalty on Jarret Stoll certainly helped, and St. Louis did just about everything but score on their first power play. That energy seemed to continue throughout the period as the Blues held the Kings to just three shots on goal for the first 16 minutes.
All four lines contributed to the positive start, made even more impressive by the fact that LA scored three first-period goals in a 6-1 home win over Edmonton on Tuesday. The Blues didn't give Kings fans much to cheer about while controlling the puck and keeping pressure on Quick.
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Joakim Lindstrom didn't get a goal in the first 48 seconds like he did last Saturday, although he did have a great opportunity from between the circles near the 13:00 mark. But even though no one scored until the shootout, St. Louis set the tone. And if it can find a way to regularly win the first period, they're going to have a lot of success.
PLAYING PHYSICAL ENOUGH
Hitchcock repeatedly said more checking and key plays in big situations would be the formula for success against the top teams in the Western Conference.
They had mixed results in their first test Thursday night against the team that led the league in hits a season ago. Los Angeles certainly lived up to its reputation as the more physical team, outhitting St. Louis, 24-8, in the first two periods.
But the Blues still made some key plays to make their presence felt and regain possession of the puck, like a big hit by defenseman Barret Jackman six minutes into the game. They also showed they weren't afraid to mix it up in some of the game's more chippy moments and came on strong in the third period and overtime, outhitting the Kings, 15-10.
Physical play is unlikely to become a strength of St. Louis, a team with more than enough technical ability to make up the difference. All Hitchcock wants from his players is the willingness to be aggressive when it matters most.
Toughness in sports can be hard to measure and frequently overrated by analysts seeking a simple explanation for a team's struggles. In hockey, though, it's clearly a valuable trait St. Louis would do well to keep demonstrating.
ELLIOTT'S HOT STREAK CONTINUES
If there's any downside to the dominance of the Blues' defense, it's the potential of complacency for Brian Elliott.
The Blues' goalie conceded during the preseason staying focused isn't always easy when he's got time for a cup of coffee or a nap between shots on goal. That happened a few times Thursday in Los Angeles, but Elliott remained unfazed on his way to saving all 18 shots in regulation.
He didn't give up a goal for the first two periods for the second straight game and saved his most spectacular saves for the middle of the third. Two of the Kings' shots from medium range ended up in Elliott's glove before he took the initiative on a dive out in front of the goal to knock a pass away from an oncoming forward.
More magnificent play from Elliott came near the end of the first period, when he saved a barrage of shots from a determined Kings attack. They took advantage of a power play to put four shots on net in the final 3:07, only to see Elliott turn them all away.
He also came up with a pair of clutch saves in the shootout against Anze Kopitar and Tyler Toffoli to keep the Blues' hopes alive. In the end, though, it wasn't quite enough thanks to Carter's rocket of a wrist shot to win the game.
Hitchcock has said backup goalie Jake Allen will make his first start of the season Saturday night against Arizona. The next day, the Blues will likely need another strong showing from Elliott to have a chance at two points in Anaheim.
You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.
