Jordan Binnington goes for career win 151 to tie Mike Liut for all time wins in a Blues uniform. Filip Gustavsson in the net for the Wild.
Thomas makes impactful return in the 1st period…
St. Louis Blues start fast with four shots in the first 90 seconds, led by Robert Thomas and his line…need to sustain this kind of pressure. The Wild take the lead 12:24 into the period by who else…Ryan Hartman…the Blues killer…beats Binnington along the ice five-hole. Not where Binnington typically allows a goal. Snaps a three-game streak where the Blues had scored three games in a row. Blues are 5-6-0 when the opposing team scores first.
The Blues get a power play with 1:40 left in the first as the Wild get whistled for delay of game. The Blues have several chances but are unable to dent the back of the net and the period ends with the Wild up 1 to 0…20 seconds to go on the power play when the second period resumes. Blues had the edge in shots 9 to 7…and in shots attempted 24 to 12. The Robert Thomas effect also seen in the face-off circle as he won all five he took.
Let's start the 2nd period strong…ready for the comeback
Some pressure to start the period but unable to make any hay on the 20 second left in the power play. A play along the right side off the rush and Kyrou feeds a pass over to Scott Perunovich and he puts a wrister into the top corner of the net for his second goal of the year at 4:48 - Bolduc with the extra assist.
Delay of game called on the Blues as the puck is airmailed into the stands by Alexandre Texier at 12:09. The Wild have a good power play so critical the Blues defend well, and the Blues kill it off…two shots for the Wild with the man advantage. The Wild have the shot advantage in the period 9 to 8 and lead overall 18 to 17, while the Blues have the edge in shot attempts. Blues the edge in hits 14 to 11. Faceoffs led by Thomas have the Blues up 60% to 40%.
LET’S GO BLUES!!
A scuffle at the end of the second period amounts to two-minute penalties to Jake Neighbours and Jake Middleton for roughing…we will start the third period with 4-on-4 hockey for the first two minutes. We stay tied at one through the first six minutes despite the Blues being short-handed for two of those minutes…after the penalty is completed…an unfortunate poor clearing play leads to a Wild goal. A shot and a tip in by Kirill “the thrill” Kaprizov…his 12th of the year. Wild up 2 to 1 at 6:07.
Wild take a high-sticking penalty…Nathan Walker drawing the penalty with his strong effort…and another opportunity for the Blues to make a difference in the game with just over 10 minutes left…need to build on the solid power play in the first period. And Jake Neighbours on the doorstep makes it 2 to 2 with Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas assisting working from the point and walking the blue line to pass it to Buchnevich who drops it to Jake for the tip-in for his sixth of the year. The Wild had killed their last 17 penalties prior to allowing this goal. Just over nine minutes left.
Wild go back on top 3 to 2 with a laser beam of a shot from the blue line and its just under the blocker of Binnington as it ticks off the Blues defender to evade Binnington. Another bad clearing attempt ends up in the back of the net. Just over six minutes left and the Blues need another equalizer. Third time they have been down by one.
The cries of “ref you suck” rain down after a high-sticking penalty that drew blood from Brayden Schenn face, right in front of the net…should have been a four-minute penalty…refs don’t make the call.
Blues pull Binnington with 1:53 left and a faceoff in the Wild end. Kaprizov pokes the puck away from Jordan Kyrou, who didn’t get the body or puck, and “the thrill” gets his second of the game, #13 on the season…Wild lead 4 to 2 with 1:23 left and that is how the game ends. Minnesota outshoots the Blues 28 to 24 in the game; hits are even at 17.
Observations: Kasperi Kapanen who was released was claimed by Edmonton to make room on the roster for Thomas and hopefully more regular playing time for Zack Bolduc… Two redirected goals for the Wild…Failed clearing attempts lead to 3 goals against…Blues have zero wins in the Central division and now trail the Wild by 10 points…