Preview: After a 5-4 shootout victory in Las Vegas, the St. Louis Blues (23-21-4) and the Golden Knights (29-14-4) finish the home-and-home series. The Blues can secure the season series against the Golden Knights and extend the Knights' current losing streak to five and 6 of their last 7. Their longest losing streak since 2022. The Blues are 14-9-3 since Jim Montgomery has taken over. The lineup is the same for forwards and defense…which wasn’t assured after a scare in Wednesday's practice with Phillip Broberg… Joel Hofer will be between the pipes for the Blues and Ilya Samsonov for VGK.
Can the Blues get 3 games over .500 on their 9th attempt? VGK has won 4 straight in St Louis.
Period 1…VGK jumps to the lead early…
Golden Knights Captain Mark Stone, only 19 seconds in, steals the puck in the defensive end and beats Hofer…not the start any team would want…1 shot, 1 goal. Cam Fowler with the giveaway…
With 13:17 left in the period, Colton Parayko took a tripping penalty against former Blue Ivan Barbeshev. The Golden Knights are the 5th ranked power play in the league. The Blues kill it off…but shortly after…at 11:07, a shot beats Hofer high to the glove side from the slot…2 to 0 before 10 minutes are done.
Off a rush… Jordan Kyrou takes a drop pass from Dylan Holloway and fires it over the pads and in for his 21st goal…2 to 1 on the Blues 3rd shot, which was their first shot in 5 minutes…10:22 into the period.
Shots in favor of the Golden Knights 14 to 4…out shooting the Blues 12-2 over the final 14:53…and they led 2 to 1. VGK with 3 odd men breaks to zero for the Blues
Period 2…VGK extends the lead…
At 13:43, Tyler Tucker takes a high sticking penalty…VGK to the powerplay… Note that the Blues have not been credited with a shot in the period, and it’s quickly 3 to 1 on a back door pass that the Blues failed to defend…no chance for Hofer…13 seconds into the penalty…their 18th shot. , the seventh game in a row VGK has scored a PP goal and their back to a 2 goal lead.
The Blues got their first shot on goal of the period at the 10:11 minute mark…
The Golden Knights took an interference penalty off a faceoff in the Blues end and the Blues had a PP chance with 9:08 left. The Blues get 2 shots and have pressure…no goals.
Back to the powerplay for the Blues with 5:16 left in the period. Overall shots are 22 to 7 in favor of the Knights. Blues hit a crossbar and 1 shot…VGK still up by 2.
Period 2 ends as the Golden Knights still lead 3 to 1 and a commanding lead in shots 24 to 8…4 per period…not going to get it done…the fewest shots allowed by VGK this season.
Period 3…VGK holds on…
The Golden Knights are 17-2 when leading after 2 periods…can the Blues score 2 in the 3rd like the Knights did on Monday to tie the game? The Blues have only won 2 games on the season when trailing after 2 periods…
Halfway through the 3rd period…no goals…VGK continues to control the SOG portion of the game 29 to 12.
Goalie pulled with 6 minutes left for the Blues…6 skaters…and the Blues capitalize as Robert Thomas sneaks one through on a rebound shot from Pavel Buchnevich…Justin Faulk with the second assist with 3:26 left.
Hofer was back in the net until 2:28 left. VGK gets an empty net goal with 26 seconds left, and the Blues challenge the goal for offsides…but it’s a good goal…4 to 2 is the way it finishes as the Golden Knights win their 30th of the year. The difference in this game happened in the first 19 seconds. VGK had the shot advantage all game, and it was 31 to 17.