WINNIPEG, Manitoba _ The Blues took a bold approach to their game Saturday in Winnipeg, giving goaltender Pheonix Copley his first NHL start against the Jets.
Copley held up his end of the bargain, but three Winnipeg power-play goals, including two from Bryan Little, helped the Jets to a 5-3 win over the Blues at MTS Centre.
The loss was the Blues' third straight in regulation, marking the first time that's happened this season, and they've been outscored 18-10 in that stretch.
The club will be back on the ice Tuesday in Pittsburgh, the first of two remaining games before the NHL All-Star game next weekend.
The Blues kept starting goalie Jake Allen back in St. Louis, giving him a chance to hit the re-set button again. They opted not to start backup Carter Hutton, instead giving the assignment to Copley.
The 25-year-old had made one appearance in the league, which came last season with the Blues, but it was his first-career start. He held the team in the game until the third period, trailing only 2-1 at that point.
But a high-sticking penalty against Dmitrij Jaskin in the offensive zone set up a Winnipeg power play and Little connected for his second of the game for a two-goal lead just 2:10 into the period.
Winnipeg added two more before the final horn, including their power-play goal of the game on five opportunities, to go ahead 5-1 with 8:55 left to play.
Paul Stastny scored his 12th goal of the season and Kevin Shattenkirk added his 11th of the year and second of the game late.
The Blues outshot Winnipeg 37-29 Saturday and put 25 shots on goal in the second period. But in a game that tied 1-1 at the first intermission, the Jets scored the only goal of the middle period for a 2-1 lead.
The goal belonged to Blake Wheeler, who finished off a swift passing sequence for Winnipeg after Shattenkirk whiffed on a chance to clear the defensive zone. Wheeler's 15th of the season gave the Jets a 2-1 lead just 1:27 into the period.
Midway through the period, Jaden Schwartz had a prime scoring chance, but Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec came up wit a huge leg save. Vladimir Tarasenko also hit two posts in the period.
Late in the period, Pavelec and Copley traded a pair of breakaway saves, with Copley robbing the Jets' Mathieu Perreault.
The Blues' 25 shots on goal were more than they had had in 11 of their last 13 games, but they couldn't come up with a goal.
Copley finished with 24 saves for the Blues, who played without defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (lower-body injury).
