Blues facing second straight first-round exit after Game 3 loss

The St. Louis Blues are facing first-round elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second straight season after losing to the Colorado Avalanche
5-1 in Game 3
at Enterprise Center on Friday.

The Blues, the No. 4 seed in the Honda West Division, outshot the No. 1 seed Avalanche (32-26) for the first time in the Stanley Cup First Round but failed where it mattered most: on the scoreboard.
St. Louis trails the best-of-7 series and is one loss from a sweep that would be another early playoff exit after winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in 2019.
Game 4 is at St. Louis on Sunday (5 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN360, TVAS, BSMW, ALT).
"I'm just speaking for myself ... I know I can be a lot better," Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly said. "I have to find a way to put the puck in the net. I had plenty of opportunities and still didn't make enough happen.
"I wish I had the answer and could adjust it, but it's over now and we've got to get ready for the next game. Got to make a difference. It's on us, the guys seeing the big ice, the big minutes. We have to find a way to produce and spark the rest of the group. There's nothing I can do right now. I've got to prepare for the next game and give it everything we have."
RELATED: [Complete Blues vs. Avalanche series coverage]
O'Reilly, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2019 voted as most valuable player of the playoffs, led the Blues in goals (24), even-strength goals (18), and game-winning goals (four) in 56 regular-season games this season.
He has one assist, seven shots on goal and is minus-6 in three postseason games.
O'Reilly had predicted a Blues upset against the Avalanche, who won their last five regular-season games and the Presidents' Trophy, awarded to the NHL team with the best record in the regular season.
O'Reilly said, "We're going to have some fun and we're going to beat them."
Avalanche defenseman Ryan Graves, who celebrated his 26th birthday Friday with three points (one goal, two assists), said he felt the proclamation was motivation.
"I mean, [it motivated us], but at the same time, what do you want him to say?" Graves said. "You want him to say they're going to lose? I mean, we're going in thinking the same thing that they're thinking ... we're going to win.
"It's been a heated series, it's been physical, it's been fun on both sides, honestly. They've played good hockey, and it's been a good test for us and it's far from over. We have some improvements in our game we can still make and we're just trying to get that last one. We know it's going to be really tough."

The Blues, who were eliminated in six games by the Vancouver Canucks last season, haven't led at any point in this series and have been outscored 15-5. Colorado's power play is scoring at 33.3 percent (3-for-9) and the penalty kill is at 85.7 percent (6-for-7).
"I think tonight was a better game for us 5-on-5," Blues forward Tyler Bozak said. "I actually thought we sustained some offensive-zone time, limited their chances 5-on-5 as much as we could. I thought everyone worked hard, we finished hits. Again, they're a really good team. They know how to win games and they find ways to win games. They score, they're opportunistic.
"Now it's do-or-die time for us. It's a big challenge; we didn't put ourselves in a good spot, but we're not done yet."
St. Louis played Game 3 without defensemen Justin Faulk (upper body) and Robert Bortuzzo (upper body), who were injured in Game 2. They've been without defensemen Vince Dunn (upper body) and Jake Walman (COVID-19 protocol), and leading scorer forward David Perron (COVID-19) for the series.
O'Reilly isn't the only player not producing. Forwards Mike Hoffman, Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn, who combined for 47 goals in the regular season, have combined for three in three games.
"I think they're creating," Blues coach Craig Berube said of his leading scorers. "There's some good looks out there. It's not going in right now. If I had an answer of why, I would have fixed it already.
"The bottom line is, our top guys are guys that we rely on, they've got to produce. We've got to find a way to score more goals."