Preview: After the St. Louis Blues (32-28-7) dominated in an all-around effort Saturday in a 5-1 win against the Minnesota Wild…they now face the Anaheim Ducks (29-30-7). The Blues try to go 5 games over .500 for the first time this season.
Both the forward and defensive lines remain the same with Jordan Binnington in between the pipes…Lukas Dostal in the net for the Ducks. The Blues are 7-2-1 in their last 10 and have beaten the Ducks in the first 2 meetings…this is the 3rd and last game of the season…a 9-game winning streak against the Ducks.
Schenn scores early…
Brayden Schenn was celebrated before the game for his1000th game and he got the first shot on goal and then the first goal 41 seconds into the game. Dylan Holloway with the setup pass and Jordan Kyrou with the 2nd assist. Schenn’s 16th goal of the year.
At 1:30 the Blues score again…this time a pass from Jake Neighbours from the boards is deflected by Pavel Buchnevich over the goaltender…his 14th of the season and Cam Fowler with the secondary assist. 2 nothing early!
Anaheim gets their first shot of the game 4:20 into the game…the Blues have scored twice on 3 shots.
With Jacob Trouba hits Kyrou blindsided and Schenn takes exception and engages with Trouba and they get fighting majors…Schenn showing why he is the Captain…sticking up for a bus teammate. Schenn gets an extra 2 minutes for instigating the fight. Ducks on the powerplay…with 2:37 left in the period. Blues kill the penalty and the Ducks had 4 shots.
The Ducks get whistled for a tripping penalty with 5 seconds left…1:55 will carry over.
The period ends…Blues lead 2 to 0 and shots 10 to 7.
Blues score 3 goals on 4 shots on period 2…
Blues with 1 shot on the PP to begin the period…and maintain the 2 goal lead.
Tyler Tucker gets called for a high sticking penalty 2:35 into the period…the Ducks second powerplay…but they go shotless on this PP.
The Blues go to the powerplay at 7:33 and Holloway fires a bomb on the one-timer at 8:19…his 22nd from Justin Faulk and Kyrou…3 nothing Blues!
The Ducks make it 3 to 1…a shot from the point goes off the defense and rebounds to the slot and is banged on… no chance for Binnington at 10:06.
With 4:21 left in the period Radek Faksa makes it 4 to 1…his 4th goal when Nathan Walker hustles to save an icing and gets the puck out front and it rebounds to Faksa who knocks it home. The Blues 2nd goal on 3 shots in the period. Alexey Toropchenko with the 2nd assist.
Justin Faulk takes a closing hand on the puck penalty with 2:46 left in the period…he had broken his stick and held onto the puck too long. The Blues capitalize shorthanded on a 2 on 1… Mathieu Joseph and Oskar Sundqvist break in and Joseph fires a wrister stick side to make it 5 to 1. Ducks with 2 shots and give up the shortie.
Shots at the end of period 2 has the Ducks leading 18 to 14…but the Blues up big 5 to 1.
Blues pile it on in the 3rd period…
Goalie change for the Ducks…Ville Husso the ex-Blue is in the net…after the Blues scored 5 on 14 shots on Dostal.
At 2:23 a deflection of a puck in front of the net and the puck floats off another Duck player and beats Binnington. 5 to 2.
Ducks take an interference penalty with 14:12 left…quickly Kyrou gets his 3rd assist of the game as he drops a pass to Jake Neighbours and he drops to one knee and one time it stick-side...6 to 2…Jake’s 16th…Faulk with the second assist.
Blues back to the powerplay with 9:22 left…a slashing penalty…and they got their 3rd PP goal of the game when Sundqvist buried a backhand pass from Zack Bolduc off a rebound of a Thomas shot. His 6th of the year, 7:21 left. 7 to 2…on 23 shots.
At 4:39 Nathan Walker takes a crosschecking penalty…and then at 3:29 the Ducks slash Joseph as he was in on a break shorthanded and then takes out the slasher with a solid check.
Blues finish it off, tying their season high 7 goals winning it 7 to 2…with 26 shots to the Ducks 25.
Notes: 3 powerplay goals…a season high… and a shorthanded goal…5 games over .500.