Observations From Blues' 4-2 Preseason Loss Vs. Blackhawks

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues remain winless in the preseason after falling in their home opener, 4-2 against the Chicago Blackhawks at Enterprise Center on Saturday.

The Blues (0-2-1) were cruising along, leading 2-0 after two periods before the Blackhawks (1-1-0), playing mostly a younger lineup with few NHL-experienced players, rallied to score four times in the third period, including three on backup goalie Will Cranley.

The Blues agreed to terms with defenseman Cam Fowler, who played 25:25 on Saturday and had an assist, to a three-year contract extension that will keep him in St. Louis through the 2028-29 season, but a number of veterans played their first game on Saturday.

Dalibor Dvorsky and Brayden Schenn scored the goals for St. Louis, whose new home uniforms are kick-a**.

Here are some observations of players’ performances (at least through two periods):

* Dalibor Dvorsky – I thought the 2023 first-round pick (No. 10 overall) may have been the best all-around Blues player of the night.

Not only did Dvorsky score a wicked, nasty goal using Blackhawks defenseman Louis Crevier as a screen and catching perhaps a surprised Spencer Knight off guard, but Dvorsky was also responsible defensively and off the puck. It’s something that he knows he has to work on to become a more complete player.

“Every single player is great on this level,” Dvorsky said. “I’ve just got to be ready all the time. I just have to learn to play the system pretty good. I’m just trying to do my best every single game.”

Associate coach Steve Ott liked what he saw.

“Talking about those first two periods, I thought his game was a lot stronger,” Ott said. “He’s continuing to grow through camp. He’s an exciting player. He had a lot of good puck possession, some strong plays and his growth continues to excel as this camp’s gone on.”

As far as his goal?

Dalibor Dvorsky with a rocket 🚀 to snag a 1-0 lead over the Blackhawks, which is always fun. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/RGKgrstaNy

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) September 27, 2025

“First, ‘Peki’ (Juraj Pekarcik) gave me a great pass,” Dvorsky said, “which it was a hard pass. Happy it went through and then I had a one-on-one there with the ‘D’ and I just tried to shoot it between his legs, so the goalie can’t see the puck and I’m happy it went in.”

* Jordan Binnington – Let’s just cut to the chase how: No. 50 is ready for the season to begin.

He stopped all 16 shots he faced through two periods, some of them in tight.

It’s the second straight solid start for Binnington, who has allowed just one goal on 31 shots in four periods spanning two games of action.

We don’t need to get into any sort of lengthy soliloquy here; he’s ready.

* Juraj Pekarcik – It was the 2023 third-round pick’s first preseason game after missing a week of camp with a shoulder ailment.

Pekarcik played on a line with Dvorsky and 2025 first-round pick Justin Carbonneau and finished with 13:10 of ice time with three hits and two giveaways, one in which he will be shown the video of a dangerous no-look backhand flip that was turned over in the defensive zone.

He did have a nifty move to the net using a toe-drag and turnaround pass into the slot that was just off the mark and needed a stick on it. Not a bad performance for a skater likely bound for Springfield of the American Hockey League.

This Juraj Pekarcik is going to be special. That would probably be a goal 9 times out of 10. pic.twitter.com/LJE12X2TqT

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) September 27, 2025

* Logan Mailloux – I didn’t have Mailloux on my bingo card for a fight, but the 22-year-old dropped the gloves with Colton Dach after delivering a clean check to Sam Lafferty in the defensive zone.

Another player that we know can perform offensively, Mailloux continues to hone in on his defensive game and had some nice breakups killing plays. He used his size and stick to his advantage once again, playing 18:59 with five shot attempts and three hits.

* Will Cranley – It was not a good night for Binnington’s backup on Saturday.

He came into the third period holding a 2-0 lead, a lead that lasted halfway through the final stanza before the brakes came off.

Cranley allowed three goals on nine shots, including the first and second goals 27 seconds apart, the second which tied the game 2-2 that Cranley misplayed a puck behind the net.

It’s safe to say he will be among the cuts on Sunday.

* Justin Carbonneau – The 2025 first-round pick wasn’t as noticeable as he was in the first three preseason games when he scored a goal and assisted on another.

He played 13:38 in the game and had a shot on goal and two shot attempts but also committed two penalties, one a holding minor 200 feet from his net and jumped onto the ice prematurely that resulted in a too many men on the ice.

Carbonneau was saying goodbye to what will one day be his future Blues teammates one day and will head to the QMJHL on Sunday. This was a great experience for the 18-year-old but it’s evident another year in junior may be best for his long-term growth.

* Adam Jiricek – I didn't think the 2024 first-round pick had as strong of a game as he did against the Columbus Blue Jackets last week.

Jiricek, who played 17:13, had just one shot attempt in the game after he was focused on funneling and shooting pucks from the blue line in his preseason debut, had a few turnovers in the D-zone that could have resulted in dangerous situations.

It just didn't seem like a clean game for him.

* Hear what Blues players and Ott had to say postgame, including Fowler on his three-year contract extension:

Hear from forward Dalibor Dvorsky and Associate Coach Steve Ott following Saturday's preseason game against Chicago. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/87mBnS76Ud

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) September 28, 2025

(UPDATED): St. Louis Blues, Cam Fowler Agree To Terms On Three-Year Extension ST. LOUIS – Cam Fowler is staying put.

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