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History does repeat for Blues

After dropping the final four games and getting run out of the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season, all the Blues could do Sunday was wonder what went wrong.

"It doesn't get any easier," Jay Bouwmeester said. "Every year you don't make the playoffs or lose in the first round or you lose, period, it's just a wasted opportunity.

"Up until the last week or two of the regular season we had a fantastic year. We had it turned around in the first couple of games, and then had a couple close ones here, a close one back home and then for two periods played pretty well tonight."

Ryan Reaves felt he could pinpoint the exact turning point of this series.

"Them tying up the series, I think that got us off our game a little bit," Reeves said. "We just never really grasped it back from there. We just couldn't really take a hold of the series.

"Our play after those first two games is what hurt us."

Versteeg sits:

Struggling forward Kris Versteeg was scratched for Game 6 and replaced in the lineup by rookie Joakim Norstrom.

"Sometimes you look at all things," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Steeger has some options that you don't mind having in our lineup. We got Nordy involved, and he got a taste of it. We'll see how we progress with it."

He said it:

"The third goal was really a backbreaker for us. That was really the one that hurt because we've been chasing all series and been able to catch up in games, but the third goal really took the wind out of our sails. We earned the power plays. We played a great first two periods. I thought the third goal, you could see a big sag on the team after that."

- Blues coach Ken Hitchcock on Sunday's 5-1 loss

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