ST. LOUIS _ For the third time in four games, the Blues held an opponent to two goals or less, but this time, they couldn't turn it into a win as their offense came up short.
Showing the effects of three games in four nights and unplanned set of back-to-backs, the Blues were a step slow and out of kilter all night. An early third period goal for Florida gave them a 2-1 win over the Blues, who could fall out of first place in the Central Division with a win by Colorado tonight in Los Angeles. The Blues have been the No. 1 team in the Western Conference since Dec. 14.
Brett Connolly put Florida ahead with 15:37 to go in the third. Aleski Saarela took the puck behind the net and the pursuing Vince Dunn crashed into the back of the net. That allowed Saarela to come out from behind the net with no one near him, and he was able to thread a pass to the other side of the crease to Connolly for the goal.
