The Preview...
The St Louis Blues started play 17-17-4 and are playing their 3rd outdoor winter game…with two prior wins. The Chicago Blackhawks entered the game 12-23-2 and lost their last 4 games.
Milestone game as Jordan Binnington started his 300th career game for the Blues and Cam Fowler played his 1000th career game. Petr Mrazek is in the net for the Blackhawks.
Blues jump on the Hawks early...
The Blues get a powerplay 48 seconds in after applying pressure off the opening faceoff. With 1:40 in, Fowler gets a pass in the slot and fires it high glove side for a 1-0 lead. Like it was meant to be…his 1000th game…The Winter Classic… Cam Fowler scores the first goal of the game…pretty special. Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas assisting.
The Blues go back to the power play with 13:26 left in the period. Jordan Kyrou scores a goal off a smooth pass from Jake Neighbours, and a wide-open net makes it 2-0. Dylan Holloway with the 2nd assist. The goal was scored at 11:50…Kyrou’s 16th of the year. Ten minutes in, and the Blues lead in shots 7 to 1…and 2 to 0 on the scoreboard. Easily dominating so far
Blackhawks to the powerplay with 6:19 left. Robert Thomas is on a 2-1 with Pavel Buchnevich and Thomas fires one off the post. Chicago scores on their 3rd shot of the powerplay score from the right faceoff circle off a rebound. 2-1…all powerplay goals thus far.
The Blackhawks wake up and, with two minutes left now, are outshooting the Blues 8-7. Looked like two separate halves of the period…Blues dominate the first half, and three Blackhawks control the second half, finishing up with 10 shots to the Blues seven. 2-1 at the end of the 1st period.
Blues take command in the 2nd…
Another early penalty on the Blackhawks and the Blues go to the powerplay 58 seconds into the period. Blues with pressure and 4 shots but unable to go 3-for-3 on the PP.
12:45 in and a set play off the faceoff in the Chicago end… Oskar Sundqvist wins the draw to Philip Broberg, and he passes it to Jordan Faulk who one-times it with Neighbours screening in front, and its 3-1 Blues.
Blues to the penalty kill as Alexey Toropchenko makes a strong move to the net and is called for goalie interference… an unfortunate call…hard for him to avoid the goaltender. With 10:35 left in the period; the Blues kill it off.
4-1 Blues with 6:26 left in the 2nd…after Binnington makes several huge saves…Faulk with a shot off the post and Holloway taps it in…his 14th.
A flip from the left point by Fowler makes the score 5-1 with 2:09 left in the period. Alexandre Texier set up Fowler on that goal.
The Blues score 3 goals in the period despite being outshot 15 to 11. 25 to 18 are the shot totals, which favor the Blackhawks.
Blues pile on in period 3…
This time the Blues are shorthanded early in the 3rd period…14 seconds in. Blues defend well and do not allow a shot. 10 minutes left and the Blues still lead the Blackhawks 5-1 despite Chicago having the advantage in shots 27 to 22.
The Blackhawks go back to the powerplay with 9:30 left in the period…and at 8:45 Chicago scores to make it 5 to 2…the shot beat Binnington on the short stick side. With five minutes left, the Blues are leading 5-2. The shots on goal favor the Blackhawks 29-23.
Alexandre Texier makes it 6-2 with 3:42 left in the 3rd period…a wrister from the edge of the faceoff circle. Faulk collects his third point of the game with an assist along with Nathan Walker. 6-2 is the final score. Binnington made 28 saves, including some big ones when they counted most.