So much for the Blues proving they've taken that next step to win big games and compete with the league's elite.
St. Louis has done well to rebound from a slow start and fight off injuries and illness to rise to the top of the Central Division, tied with an upstart Nashville team. There's something to be said for taking care of business against the league's lesser teams, and home wins against Anaheim and Nashville shouldn't be taken lightly.
Still, Wednesday's 4-1 loss in Chicago continued a troubling trend. The Blues fell to 0-4-1 on the road against opponents in the top seven of either conference so far this season, with two more chances to better that record coming up this week.
It doesn't take much to figure out the biggest problem this year for the Blues, since scoring goals is generally required to win hockey games. St. Louis has just two in 305 minutes of hockey away from home against those top teams, despite the offseason acquisitions of forwards Paul Stastny and Jori Lehtera.
Special teams can be a difference maker in these tight games as well, and the Blues are 0 for 13 in those five games, although their one goal Tuesday night came with a man advantage on a delayed penalty. Still, St. Louis officially went 0 for 5 against Chicago's NHL-best penalty-kill unit as the Blackhawks won their sixth game in seven tries, including consecutive 4-1 wins against Anaheim, Los Angeles and the Blues.
Certainly, a win would have been tough to get in Chicago's return home from a successful six-game road trip, but it's the kind of game that St. Louis could have used to send a statement to the league. Instead, Jake Allen allowed three third-period goals as his defense failed to protect him against the Blackhawks' quick passing, and the Blues saw their two-game win streak come to a screeching halt.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what goes wrong for St. Louis on the biggest stage, especially with a roster that now appears to have enough playmakers to compete at the highest level. Rising star Vladimir Tarasenko came up short again despite four shots, but the 22-year-old's team-best four goals in the playoffs last year show he isn't afraid of the spotlight.
FOX SPORTS MIDWEST GIRLS: Read their bios, check out their upcoming appearances and view their photo galleries and videos.
Maybe it's just a mental block the Blues need to get over, and such veterans as Stastny, David Backes and T.J. Oshie should be counted on to lead the way. Certainly, they couldn't pick a better time to get over the hurdle than Thursday, when St. Louis travels to Nashville in a battle for sole possession of the division lead.
THE BEST AND WORST OF IAN COLE
Blues coach Ken Hitchcock has often advocated Ian Cole playing an aggressive, high-risk, high-reward style of hockey.
The 25-year-old defenseman has plenty of natural ability and the offensive prowess to give St. Louis a much-needed scoring boost. When he gets the puck in front of the goal like he did with 8:22 left in the second period on a quick pass from Patrik Berglund, Cole knows how to find the net.
But his second goal of the season only tied the game, thanks to his turnover near the Chicago blue line in the first period. Marcus Kruger poked the puck away to set up a two-on-one and he used defenseman Chris Butler as a shield to go between the legs of Allen for the 1-0 lead.
More than two weeks ago, Cole's errant pass from behind his own net gave Boston a game-winner in a tough 2-0 road loss for St. Louis. A week later, his hard shot from near the blue line straight out from the goal opened the scoring in a 3-2 shootout loss to Ottawa.
Only more experience will help the young defenseman continue to refine his game and eliminate those ugly turnovers that lead to unassisted goals for grateful opponents. But if Cole can keep playing with flair and fulfill his promise, it should be worth the growing pains.
You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter at @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.
