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For just the third time in 24 games, the Blues actually suffered a regulation loss.

Their club-record winning streak of 12 games ended Monday night with a 3-1 loss to the Jets in Winnipeg.

The Blues could have clinched a playoff berth with the combination of a regulation victory and a regulation loss by the Calgary Flames against the San Jose Sharks.

Neither result occurred, and the Blues remain stuck at 93 points with three games left. The Flames, who won 3-2 at San Jose, have 87 points with five games remaining.

The Western Conference wild-card berths remain undecided. The Minnesota Wild (91 points, four games left) can still pass the Blues for the first wild-card spot. The Vancouver Canucks (83 points, five games left) and Utah Hockey Club (82 points, five games left) are still clinging to mathematical life.

The Blues still have work to do as they move on to play Wednesday night in Edmonton.

The explanation for the Blues loss in Winnipeg us pretty basic.

“They made us defend a lot more than we made them defend,� Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “And then the other part would be, we had turnovers where we shouldn’t. We should have made more poised plays than we did.�

The Jets showed why they are first overall in the NHL this season and bidding for the Presidents' Trophy. They outshot the Blues 26-15 overall while controlling the first and third periods.

“I don’t think we had our best tonight,� Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “Obviously (the Jets) are a good team and take time and space away from you.

“They’re at the top of the league, right? They are there for a reason. They play hard defense, no time and space, good goalie.�

In the first 20 minutes, Winnipeg built a 31-8 advantage in shot attempts while keeping the Blues hemmed in.

“They took it to us in the first period, definitely,� Schenn said. “They had extended (offensive zone) time, and we just weren’t able to get to out forecheck, whether that was us forcing a few plays and not putting it to the goal line, (or) obviously them defending us well.�

The Blues kept the first period scoreless by blocking 14 shots, then they battled the Jets to a 1-1 draw in the second period.

During the Blues’ best offensive sequence of the game, Robert Thomas twice set up Pavel Buchnevich for Grade A chances in front of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck with passes from behind the net.

Buchnevich’s second shot went in for his fourth goal in his past five games. Thomas extended his point streak to nine games while earning his 16th assist during that span.

Radek Faska also had a couple of good scoring chances, one off the fourth line’s forecheck and one off the rush.

And that was about it for the Blues offense.

Given their inability to sustain an attack, the Blues had no margin for error — and they committed two turnovers that cost them.

The Jets took a 1-0 lead when Blues winger Mathieu Joseph tried to execute a give-and-go play with defenseman Cam Fowler at the left point.

Jets forward Morgan Barron broke up the play. Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey pushed the puck up the right wing to Barron, who turned the corner on the recovering Joseph and beat Hofer off the rush.

After Buchnevich tied the game in the second period, the Jets took over in the third. Kyle Connor stole Buchnevich’s passing attempt off from the wall and cut to the middle for a shot from the slot.

Hofer made the save, but Alex Iafallo converted the rebound for the decisive goal.

“They play a tight-checking game,� Buchnevich said. “Game came down to one mistake, I did a mistake before the second goal. I’ve got to make a better play.�

The Blues pulled Hofer for an extra attacker and applied late pressure, but they couldn’t break through before Adam Lowry sealed Winnipeg’s victory with an empty-net goal.

“The streak was great, while it lasted,� Montgomery said. “Now we have to refocus. We’ve got to play better than we did tonight to be able to try to get into the playoffs. That’s our focus.�