Preview: The St. Louis Blues (22-21-4) face the No. 1 team in the Pacific Division, the Vegas Golden Knights, to open a home-and-home set that closes out their season series. The Vegas Golden Knights (29-14-3) are on a three-game losing streak.
Some lineup changes include Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours playing with Brandon Saad, who is back in the lineup. Pavel Buchnevich will be with Alexey Toropchenko and Oskar Sundqvist. The Dylan Holloway-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou line will remain together. On defense Cam Fowler and Colton Parayko will remain together, Ryan Suter and Philip Broberg paired, Tyler Tucker and Justin Faulk together. Jordan Binnington starts in net…Aiden Hill for the Knights.
Welcome to the Fortress…Blues score late to take the lead in period 1
The Blues are aggressive early with the first five shots on goal. VGKs first shot over five minutes in…
Off a break 3-on-2…quick passes from Suter to Holloway to Kyrou, finally to Schenn with the wrister bar-down beats Hill clean to the glove side at 11:33…7th SOG. Schenn’s 11th goal on the season.
Blues to the penalty kill with seven minutes left…Faulk for holding. Knights get the tying goal, Binnington makes the initial save, and the defense can’t clear the puck, and we are tied at 1 with 5:51 left. VGKs 10th shot.
Blues to the powerplay with 2:45 left in the period. Sundqvist takes an elbow…2 shots, no goals.
With 17 seconds left Nathan Walker jumps on a rebound and snaps it stick side, Broberg and Faksa with the assists…2 to 1 Blues… Walker’s 5th goal of the season. Shots,15 to 13, Blues as we end period 1.
Period 2…Blues add to the lead…
13:29 left in the period, and Neighbours, with a sniper shot, beats Hill high stick side…just inside the post. 3-1 Blues! Thomas and Parayko with assists on Jake’s 13th goal.
Knights come back quickly to make it 3 to 2…a spin-o-rama shot beats Binnington low to the stick side…12:35 left in the 2nd.
Blues back on the kill with 7:13 left in the 2nd. Knights have a couple of points blanks chances but Binnington starts the offensive.
Blues get a late powerplay with 57 seconds left…They make the Knights pay with 30 seconds left to make it 4 to 2…Fowler has a slapper from the blueline and beat Hill with a screen in front. The period ends with the shots 23 to 21 for VGK.
Period 3…Vegas rallies late...
10 minutes left…a back-and-forth period…Knights with five shots to the Blues' five…Binnington is making all the saves so far, and the Blues with 19 blocked shots…7 for VGK.
5 Minutes!! Blues defending well…overall shots are 29 to 27 in favor of the Knights. Blues with 21 blocked shots and a slight advantage in faceoff wins.
With 3:10 left the Knights get within 1…Binnington was beaten high to the stick side.
Hill to the bench for the extra attacker with 2 minutes left…Knights going hard to the net…37 seconds left ..faceoff in the Blues end…a blast from the right circle beats Binnington's high stick side and we are tied at 4 with 29 seconds left. The 3rd period ends with shots 32 to 27.
Overtime!!! Blues win the opening faceoff…but give it up and Eichel missed an open net…1:30 left in OT Blues with the only shot on goal…and we got to a shootout.
Shootout!! Blues Neighbours first…scores!! VGK Olofsson…no goal!! 1-0 Blues Schenn…scores!! 2-0
VGK Eichel …scores!! 2 to 1…Blues Holloway…no goal! VGK Dorofeyev…no goal!! Blues 2 to 1 win!! Final 5 to 4!!