Preview: The St. Louis Blues (28-26-6) face the Los Angeles Kings (31-18-8), 3rd place in the Pacific) for the first time this season before heading back on the road. This will be the first of three between the teams over the next week. Speaking of three…can the Blues extend their 3-game winning streak to a first of the season 4-game winning streak.
The Kings start goaltender David Rittich. Jordan Binnington will get the start in net for the Blues. The balance of the lineup remains the same as the last two games…why mess with success???
Blues with 2 unanswered to lead after period 1…
Radek Faksa takes an interference penalty at 2:51…Blues need an early kill…less than a minute later a blast from the faceoff circle beats Binnington off the crossbar over the glove…1-0 Kings…two shots on the PP…a powerplay goal…Blues had killed off eight straight powerplay chances.
Five minutes in the shots are 2-1 for the Kings.
Blues get a goal on their 3rd shot…another goal from the defense…Colton Parayko gets a drop pass from Jordan Kyrou and he fires it in stick side for his 15th of the season. Dylan Holloway gets the 2nd assist and we are tied at 2 with just over 10 minutes left in the first. The 35th goal from a defenseman this year…3rd most in the NHL.
With 1:53 left, Pavel Buchnevich is able to jump on a loose puck…like a dog on a bone…off a scramble in front of the net…Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours with the assists as they kept the pressure on the King goalie. 2 to 1 Blues and Thomas extends his point streak to nine games.
The period ends with the Blues leading in shots 10 to 8.
Blues extend the lead in the 2nd period…
Zack Bolduc makes it 3 to 1 9:27 into the period as he gets in on a breakaway and he toe drags a shot from one knee past the glove inside the post…for his 9th goal…Mathieu Joseph with the assists as he blocked a King shot. The Blues 14th shot.
Buchnevich a blast from the blueline at the buzzer beats the goalie…but is 0.1 after the period ended.
Blues continue to lead in shots 20 to 18…and lead 3 to 1.
Blues add on and dominate period 3…
The Blues are 23-2-1 when leading after 2 periods.
Dylan Holloway gets his 19th goal less than 2 minutes into the 3rd on a wrister from just inside the blueline as the King defense backed off, he beat the goalie glove side. Brayden Schenn and Ryan Suter with the assists. 4 to 1…Blues!!
LA takes a penalty for holding Nathan Walker’s stick with 15:59 left. Blues unable to score and had only a single shot.
Another penalty against the Kings for high sticking against Joseph. 8:28 left in the period. 6 shots on the PP…hammering the net with shots.
Matching roughing penalties with 3:30 left…Kyrou for the Blues…4 on 4 until the Kings pull the goalie for a 5 on 4…Blues defend well…no scoring.
Blues win their 4th in a row…4 to 1. Outshoot the Kings 33 to 26. Binnington with 25 saves and he is 5-0-1 in his last 6 games.