TORONTO — In a decisive victory on Thursday night, Jordan Binnington showcased his skills with a remarkable 40 saves, while Dylan Holloway found the back of the net twice as the St. Louis Blues triumphed over the Toronto Maple Leafs with a score of 5-1. This game marked a significant moment for Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube, as it was his first encounter with the Blues after being let go from the team in December. Berube had previously led St. Louis to its only Stanley Cup championship in 2019.
The Blues improved their record to 5-3-0 with contributions from Philip Broberg, Alexandre Texier, and Jake Neighbours, who each added goals. Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich were instrumental as well, each providing two assists to aid the scoring efforts. For Toronto, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was the sole scorer, while Joseph Woll made 22 saves in his season debut following a stint on injured reserve due to a groin issue earlier that day. The loss dropped the Maple Leafs to 4-4-0.
The scoring commenced for St. Louis with Broberg netting a goal on the team’s third shot, sending a puck through a crowd of players. Holloway extended St. Louis’s lead with a goal on a power play shortly after. In the second period, Ekman-Larsson scored his first goal for Toronto, bringing the score to 2-1, but Texier quickly responded, pushing the score to 3-1 before the period concluded.
A notable takeaway from the game was St. Louis playing without center Robert Thomas, who is sidelined due to an ankle injury sustained in a previous match against Winnipeg. Thomas is anticipated to be out for a minimum of six weeks. On the other hand, the Maple Leafs benefited from Woll’s skillful stops; his absence had been filled admirably by Anthony Stolarz, who had a solid record of 3-2-0, featuring a .938 save percentage and a 1.83 goals-against average.
A key moment arose during the second period when Toronto’s power play had a chance to narrow the gap to one goal while trailing 3-1, but they failed to capitalize, ending the night 0 for 3 on power plays and only managing to score 3 out of 26 for the season thus far. The Maple Leafs also missed another power play opportunity in the third period.
In terms of performance stats, Broberg, who joined the Blues from Edmonton in August alongside Holloway, has made a significant impact, accumulating seven points in just eight games since his arrival.
Looking ahead, the Maple Leafs are set to embark on a two-game road trip starting Saturday night against Boston, while St. Louis will head to Montreal for their next match on the same evening as they continue their trip.