The St. Louis Blues took down the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 Saturday night. Despite a frustrating first period, the Blues fought back with a dominant second period before holding on in the third to earn the victory. While there is a lot to work on, there were many positives from the game.
First Period
Carolina dominated the first period, with Andrei Svechnikov scoring the only goal just 1:21 into the game. After Colton Parayko lost control of the puck, Sebastian Aho set up Seth Jarvis, who delivered a cross-crease pass for Svechnikov to easily convert. The Hurricanes outshot the Blues 19 to 4 in the period, with both Svechnikov and rookie Jackson Blake registering four shots, while Jarvis added three. Jack Roslovic and Jordan Martinook also had solid performances but could not find the back of the net.
After a shutout against the New York Islanders on Oct. 17, Hofer built on his strong play, stopping the final 18 shots he faced in the first period to keep the Blues just one goal behind. He faced an expected goals total of 1.27, according to MoneyPuck, and did an impressive job limiting rebounds.
Second Period
Although the Blues struggled in the first period, they quickly rebounded. Midway through the second period, Mathieu Joseph received a pass from captain Brayden Schenn right in front of the net, spun around, and shot the puck past Pyotr Kochetkov, tying the game at 1-1. Mathieu’s brother, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, also assisted on the goal.
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Just a minute later, Zack Bolduc won a puck battle, allowing Jake Neighbours to grab the puck and fire it through traffic, scoring to give St. Louis a 2-1 lead. Less than two minutes later, Dylan Holloway received a pass from Philip Broberg and, with some impressive moves, slipped the puck past Kochetkov, extending the Blues’ lead to 3-1. This goal marked Holloway’s first as a Blue, while Broberg extended his point streak to six games to start the season in his debut with St. Louis. Despite being outshot 27-15 in the period, the Blues headed into the final frame with a 3-1 advantage.
Third Period
Just over a minute into the third period, Shayne Gostisbehere scored his first goal of the night and third of the season on the power play, with assists from Aho and Svechnikov. Less than 90 seconds after that, Roslovic continued his strong night by scoring his first goal of the game with a slapshot off a cross-ice pass from Jack Drury, tying the score at 3-3.
The tie lasted just over a minute before Kasperi Kapanen picked up a loose puck, raced into the offensive zone, and went backhand to forehand, beating Kochetkov on the glove side to put the Blues back in the lead. Despite facing pressure late in the period, St. Louis managed to maintain their one-goal advantage, securing their second consecutive victory at home.
Game Standouts
Hofer was an obvious standout for the Blues. He stopped 37 of 40 shots and kept the Blues in the game despite a disappointing first period. While Jordan Binnington has impressed, Hofer may soon be pushing for the starter’s net, a debate the team is happy to have.
Neighbours had another strong night, tallying a goal and an assist. The young winger looked sharp on his edges and did a great job at facilitating play in transition despite having just 13:45 of ice time, a number bound to increase.
Despite the loss, Svechnikov stood out, registering a goal and an assist. He had 19:38 of ice time, the third most among Carolina’s forwards, and will look to build on his strong performance.
The Blues and Hurricanes will each have two days off before suiting up again on Tuesday, Oct. 22. The Blues will host the undefeated Winnipeg Jets at Enterprise Center, while the Hurricanes will head to Rogers Place to face the Edmonton Oilers.
