ST. LOUIS — In a decisive victory, the St. Louis Blues overpowered the Anaheim Ducks 7-2, with a stunning opening from Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich, both netting goals within the first 90 seconds of the game.
Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours each contributed a goal and an assist, while the scoresheet was also marked by efforts from Pavel Buchnevich, Radek Faksa, Mathieu Joseph, and Oskar Sundqvist for the Blues. The team’s offensive prowess was further underscored by Jordan Kyrou’s three assists and two from Justin Faulk.
In goal, Jordan Binnington was a sturdy presence, saving 22 shots for St. Louis, which recorded its eighth win in 11 games (8-2-1). This victory places the Blues in a strong position, tying them with Vancouver for the Western Conference’s second wild card spot.
The Ducks, struggling with form, suffered their fifth loss in seven games. Cutter Gauthier, who scored and assisted once, and Nikita Nesterenko also found the net, supported by Mason McTavish’s two assists. Gradually overwhelmed, Lukas Dostal allowed five goals from 14 shots in the initial two periods, while Ville Husso managed to save 10 out of the 12 shots during his time in the third period.
Schenn kicked off the scoring spree with his 16th goal of the season just 41 seconds into the match. Moments later, Buchnevich furthered the Blues’ lead with his 14th goal, creating an early 2-0 advantage for St. Louis.
Schenn, who recently celebrated his 1,000th career game milestone, also engaged in a physical exchange with Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba. This confrontation led to Schenn receiving penalties for fighting and unsportsmanlike conduct.
The game, originally scheduled earlier, experienced a delay of two hours. The Blues had to extend their stay in St. Paul on Saturday night due to a technical issue with their aircraft after playing against Minnesota.
Takeaways highlight Anaheim’s ongoing struggles, losing for the eighth time over the past 12 games (4-7-1), which puts them eight points away from a wild card position in the Western Conference. Conversely, the Blues maintained offensive pressure, effectively minimizing Anaheim’s scoring opportunities.
One pivotal moment saw Binnington thwart Trevor Zegras’ attempt on a breakaway, a crucial stop that preserved a comfortable lead after Gauthier had scored for Anaheim.
A standout statistic was the Blues’ special teams performance; excelling with a 3 for 4 success rate on the power play, a perfect penalty kill, and a short-handed goal.
Looking ahead, the Ducks are set to face Dallas on Tuesday, while the Blues will take on Nashville.
