PHILADELPHIA • The Blues came out flat and stayed that way for most of the game, showing only a brief sign of life early in the third period, as their three-game win streak was snapped with a 6-3 loss to the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues fell behind 4-0 before Ivan Barbashev scored in the second to make it 4-1. Paul Stastny scored 12 seconds into the third period to make it 4-2, and the game was on.
But a holding penalty on Joel Edmundson midway through the period led to a power-play goal for Philadelphia that made the score 5-2 and took a lot of steam out of the Blues' comeback chances.
Down three goals, coach Mike Yeo pulled goalie Jake Allen in favor of an extra attacker with 3 minute 9 seconds to play and got a goal from Colton Parayko to make it 5-3, but the Blues couldn't get any closer and Philadelphia added an empty-net goal with 16 seconds remaining.
"Just not ready. Not ready," Yeo said of the Blues' slow start. "That was one of the keys to the game for us was to start on time and we didn't."
The Blues went with Allen in goal after backup Carter Hutton had gotten them three straight wins, but his teammates once again did him no favors. In the past, it was a lack of offensive support, but this time it was a steady stream off odd-man breaks for the Flyers that left Allen frequently helpless.
"Way too many (odd-man rushes)," Yeo said. "We weren't tight in our game today. When we're on top of our game, we're tight, we're in their face, stop speed before it starts. Tonight we just let them come at us."
• BOX SCORE: Flyers 6, Blues 3
Philadelphia's second goal came on a two-on-one break when the puck caromed in off the butt of a sliding Parayko trying to break up the play.
The Blues had just one power play in the game and didn't have any shots on goal.
The Blues play Washington on Sunday afternoon and Hutton will be back in goal. After that, the Blues have one game before their bye week.
SECOND PERIOD UPDATE
Ivan Barbashev got his first goal of the season, but it looks like mere window dressing after a flat defensive effort saw the Flyers take a 4-1 lead after two periods at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday.
Jordan Weal got behind the Blues' defense to score on a backhand shot to make it 3-0, and three minutes later, Sean Couturier finished off a two-on-one to make it 4-0.
After 14 games without even a point this season, Barbashev backhanded in a pass from Paul Stastny past Brian Elliott to make it 4-1.
The Blues had a power play late in the period, but didnt have a shot on goal in the 2 minutes, running their streak to 18 power plays without a goal.
Jake Allen got the start and has gone 1-6 in his past seven starts. In those six losses, the Blues have scored four goals.
FIRST PERIOD UPDATE
Jake Allen was back in goal for the Blues on Saturday after backup Carter Hutton had played three straight, but the Blues gave up two goals in the first period and fell behind the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0 at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday afternoon.
Blues coach Mike Yeo had chosen to stick with a red-hot Hutton, whose play had been instrumental in the team getting three wins. But with back-to-back games this weekend, it presented an easy opportunity to work the team's No. 1 goalie back into action.
But it wasn't long before the Blues fell behind. Scott Laughton scored an unassisted goal 2:15 into the game, and then with 13:18 to go in the period, Philadelphia's Claude Giroux had the puck in a two-on-one and tried to pass, but the puck hit a sliding Colton Parayko and caromed into the net.
The Blues have had no power plays, which is just as well considering how they've done on them, and have killed two power plays for Philadelphia.
Allen continues to get no support on offense. In his stretch where he's gone 1-6, the Blues have scored seven goals with him on the ice. And three of them came in the win. In the six losses, the Blues have scored four goals with him out there.
The Blues were outshot 16-7 in the period.
In case you missed it, the Blues called up defenseman Jake Walman from Chicago last night and put Vince Dunn on injured reserve with the flu. Also, the team announced that Petteri Lindbohm, who was playing in the AHL with Chicago, had shoulder surgery on Friday and would miss the rest of the season.