Robert Thomas scored his first career NHL goal and Jake Allen made 30 saves, but the Blues fell 4-1 to the League-leading Nashville Predators on Wednesday night at Bridgestone Arena.
The loss spoiled the debut of interim head coach Craig Berube, who took over behind the bench for Mike Yeo.
Despite the loss, the Blues' locker room felt like the effort was there.
"There was emotion in the game, brought some fire in our belly to the game, playing for one another," said Brayden Schenn. "If we do that for the next 60 (games), we'll like the results most nights."
"I thought our guys stayed with it," Berube said. "What I saw was they stayed with it and kept working."
The Predators won their third straight and improved to 16-5-1 on the season.
The Blues will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak in Friday's rematch with the Predators.