Zachary Bolduc made his NHL debut for the St. Louis Blues in a 4-0 win against the Islanders, expressing a whirlwind of emotions: 'I was excited, I was stressed, I was proud.' However, in a subsequent game against the Detroit Red Wings, the Blues suffered a 6-1 defeat, marking their fourth loss in six games. Bolduc scored his first career goal in this match, describing the moment as a 'birthday present for himself.' Despite this personal achievement, the team's overall performance was criticized, with key players Robert Thomas (12:03 ice time, minus-2, one minor penalty) and Jordan Kyrou (10:34 ice time, minus-2) being benched in the third period due to their lack of contribution. The Blues' record now stands at 30-25-2, placing them at risk of falling behind in the Western Conference standings, with implications that they might be 'on the outside looking in' for their next game.
Three keys in #stlblues 6-1 loss against #redwings include not showing up at puck drop; mismanaging pucks/too many turnovers and top players absent: https://t.co/mztiSiZw2g
Thomas, Kyrou, Kapanen benched in third period of 6-1 loss against #redwings #stlblues: https://t.co/MmdGFEpnyd
My #stlblues player of the game in their 6-1 loss against the #redwings on Saturday is Zack Bolduc: https://t.co/cGSeM8WzUt
Drew Bannister on benching Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou in the third period (one shift each): “They’re not the only players. We had a large group of players, obviously, that didn’t show up when you get beat 6-1 on the road. ...
Robert Thomas: 12:03 ice time, minus-2, one minor penalty, 6./5 on face-offs, zero shot attempts. Jordan Kyrou: 10:34 ice time, minus-2, one missed shot. #stlblues
final: #redwings 6, #stlblues 1 ... Good for Bolduc, who scored first NHL goal. Binnington and Hofer left out to slaughter by a no-show in every way by their teammates. Next time Blues play, they will likely be on the outside looking in. Performances like this are unacceptable.
The Blues lost, 6-1. They are 30-25-2. St. Louis has now lost four of its last six games, and can be jumped by Nashville in the Western Conference standings tonight.
Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou have been on the ice for one shift in the third period. #stlblues
Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou haven't played since about 12 minutes left in the third period. Now not on the power play here ...
FIRST CAREER GOAL ALERT! Zack Bolduc with a birthday present for himself. What a moment! #stlblues https://t.co/TNBr9SG43y
Zach Bolduc’s first career goal gets St. Louis on the board, cuts the Detroit lead to 4-1 with 7:32 left in the second
"I was excited, I was stressed, I was proud. A lot of emotion. That stress after my first shift was gone." -- #stlblues 2021 first-round pick Zachary Bolduc pleased with first NHL game despite indifferences in game flow due to special teams: https://t.co/JXJrmczvJI
Bolduc makes NHL debut for #stlblues in 4-0 win against #Isles: https://t.co/Aftmy1o9QK