Cam Ward was in Conn Smythe mode and the Blues were in defeatist mode tonight with a 2-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Brian Elliott was no slouch in net either, making some incredible saves all game, but Chad LaRose’s goal was a trickler that snuck by:

Any air that was left in the Blues’ sails was puffed out by that goal, as the rest of the game they appeared disinterested and chock full of bad decisions —Kevin Shattenkirk’s lack of a pinch on this Jeff Skinner goal was a decent example of that:

They didn’t make the game easy on Cam Ward, who was forced to stop 40 SOG, but the shots they were taking didn’t necessarily require much effort from Ward to win his 200th game.

This is just a two game losing streak — it happens — but the way that it’s happened and the lack of a level of intensity on a road trip is troubling. It’s more so because they know that it’s a problem.

The Blues next play in Tampa Bay against the Lightning Saturday night. The road trip requires some oomph, and so does playing against a team hoping for a miracle to get into the playoffs.