ST. LOUIS — In an exciting matchup, Jake Neighbours netted the decisive goal in the shootout, and Jordan Binnington thwarted all three attempts from the San Jose Sharks, leading the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 triumph on Thursday night. This victory ended the Blues’ four-game losing streak on home turf.
Binnington rebounded impressively after giving up a last-minute equalizer to Alexander Wennberg, who scored with only 8.8 seconds remaining. This win marked Binnington’s 151st career victory, equaling the franchise record set by Mike Liut.
Wennberg proved to be a standout for the Sharks, contributing both of their goals, with Mikael Granlund and Macklin Celebrini—who is the first overall pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL draft—providing assists on both plays.
The Blues had scoring contributions from Jordan Kyrou and Nathan Walker. Walker opened the scoring just 11 seconds into the first period after Radek Faksa intercepted a pass from Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov. Later in the second period, Kyrou found the back of the net with 8:13 left, jamming in a pass from Pierre-Olivier Joseph amidst some heavy traffic around the crease—making it his sixth goal of the season.
During the match, Binnington showcased his prowess with 22 saves, while Askarov faced a total of 29 shots.
Notable takeaways from the game include the Sharks’ ongoing struggles; they have been outscored 28-10 in first periods this season, although they managed to score first for the third consecutive game. For the Blues, Binnington’s 295 career games places him second among goalies in franchise history. He achieved the milestone of 151 wins in 56 fewer games than Liut, who holds a record of 151-133 with 52 ties from 1979-1985.
A pivotal moment in the game came when Neighbours sealed the win with a precise wrist shot in the shootout, which found its way past Askarov on his glove side.
A concerning statistic for the Blues is that they have been outscored by a staggering 14-2 in the third period over their last seven games.
Looking ahead, the Blues are set to embark on a challenging schedule, with seven out of their next eight games on the road. Their journey will begin this Saturday against the New York Islanders, while San Jose will kick off a four-game homestand on the same day, facing off against the Buffalo Sabres.