Along with Captain Brayden Schenn at center, Dylan Holloway, Oskar Sundqvist, and Radek Faksa will lead the way. Kasperi Kapanen is back in the lineup replacing Alexandre Texier. Binnington in net and his counterpart is Logan Thompson the ex-Vegas Golden Knight.
Blues at 7-7-0 vs a hot 9-4-0 Capitals team on record breaking watch as Alex Ovechkin needs 33 goals to break Wayne Gretzky’s goal record.
Need shots on goal!
The Blues only had seven shots in the last 40 minutes in the loss to Utah…that has to change…and a strong start is necessary. But…NO…59 seconds in and a deflected shot from the just inside the blue line evades Binnington. 11 of 15 games allowing the first goal and eight one-goal games leads the NHL…not necessarily what you want to lead in…
Blues respond off a faceoff win…a pass from Matt Kessel to Scott Perunovich, who has snuck all alone into the slot and he fires it past Thompson for his first career NHL goal. A very large monkey has been lifted from Perunovich’s shoulders in his 79th NHL game. The third shot on goal for the Blues.
Blues go on the power play with 9:43 left in the period. The Blues power play is ranked 31st in the NHL…and have not scored a PP goal at home this year…that trend continues on this first opportunity only one shot on goal. Second Blues PP opportunity with 3:01 to go in the first…a better effort with several scoring chances…however unable to score on four shots. Zero for 20 on the season at home. Period 1 ends with both teams tied at one, while the Caps had the edge in shots early…they end up 10 to 9 Caps. Blues lead in hits 12 to 10.
Period 2…
In the first two minutes…Binnington with a diving sprawled out like superman save that tips off the end of his goalie stick as an errant clearing pass bounced right into the slot to a waiting Cap player. Wowzer…save of the year??
Ovi strikes with his patented shot from the faceoff circle beats Binnington with goal No. 862 of his career at 12:18. It's 2 to 1 Caps. Make that 3 to 1 Capitals as a broken play and a turnover…by Jordan Kyrou… in the Blues end and Jacob Chychrun at 10:53 beats Binnington stick side.
Blues have a power play at the end of the period and have the pressure on for two minutes, but are unable to dent the net. It's 3 to 1 at the end of the second. Blues lead in the shot category 20 to 14.
Once again need a comeback…
The Capitals go on a power play and Ovechkin once again is camped in the faceoff circle to the left of Binnington and blasts his 863 career goal 4 to 1 on his fifth shot of the game…Hat Trick Watch for Ovi!
Make it 5 to 1…with 16:09 left. Capitals on the power play again and 6 to 1…no defensive coverage. And now 7 to 1 with four minutes left…8 to 1 with 3:15 left…The horn sounds, finally put out of their misery
Observations: Five goals against in the third period on 13 shots...Caps skated in behind the Blues defense often...Kessel and Perunovich were the only plus defensemen/players for the Blues...