GAME RECAP: St. Louis Blues do loads proper, fall in house opener to Minnesota Wild 4-1

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues had all the pieces going for them of their house opener in opposition to the Minnesota Wild for a minimum of the primary 40 minutes aside from what mattered most: the scoreboard.

And all that grew to become a moot level with the sport in hand after which it occurred: a goalie objective!

The Blues misplaced their house opener, 4-1 in opposition to the Minnesota Wild in a sport that for 40 minutes resembled one during which they in all probability deserved to be forward however have been trailing 2-0 due to a power-play objective (Ryan Hartman) and shorthanded marker (Jakub Lauko).

However then with the sport in hand, the fifteenth goalie in NHL historical past (18th objective) was scored by Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson, who launched the puck excessive down the ice into the empty internet at 19:51, a power-play objective with Philip Broberg within the field for the Blues with a four-minute high-sticking infraction.

It capped off that form of evening for the Wild (2-0-2), who have not misplaced in 4 regulation video games to start the season whereas dropping the Blues to 2-2-0 after their second straight loss.

However going to the play, the Blues known as a trip with 33.6 left within the sport and down 3-1 when Pavel Buchnevich despatched a wrist shot from simply exterior the blue line proper at Gustavsson, who caught the puck, dropped it, dropped to a knee and launched the puck the size of the ice into the web to make it 4-1.

“They took a time on the market with 30 seconds left or one thing and ‘Flower’ [Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury] seemed up that the board and stated, ‘It is best to in all probability attempt it for those who get the possibility,” Gustavsson stated. “‘You are taking pictures, proper?’ I used to be like, ‘Yeah, possibly I ought to.’

“Coaches normally get mad for those who attempt it with a one-goal lead and it turns into icing for those who miss it, so up (3-1), if I get the possibility, I am going to attempt it.”

Fifteen NHL goalies have been credited with a complete of 18 targets (16 within the common season, two within the Stanley Cup Playoffs). The final was Tristan Jarry with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 30, 2023 in opposition to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Wild coach Jon Hynes was coach of the Nashville Predators when Pekka Rinne scored a goalie objective in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 9, 2020.

“It was one in all my first couple video games in Nashville,” Hynes stated. “It was virtually similar to Gus’s. It was a 6-on-5 scenario they usually form of dumped it in on the goalie and he had time to do it. Each guys, you can inform they have been going for it. Nice to see.”

There was loads of good to see from the Wild, who have been shorthanded for the sport taking part in with out forwards Joel Eriksson Ek (damaged nostril) and Marcus Johansson (undisclosed) and defenseman Jared Spurgeon (decrease physique). The Wild performed with 11 forwards and 7 defenseman within the sport because of this, and their star, Kirill Kaprizov, performed defenseman-like minutes at 27:59 because of this.

“I feel there’s nonetheless some areas within the sport the place we might have in all probability tightened it up and form of put extra stress on them even,” Blues defenseman Justin Faulk stated. “I feel we have been just a little sloppy with the puck popping out of our zone and simply form of coming by means of the impartial zone and what not the place we in all probability might have put our foot down just a little bit extra realizing they have been a shorthanded group tonight, dressing 11 forwards and a few their high guys have been injured. There was extra there available clearly. The result’s the end result, however I feel there’s just a little bit extra from our group tonight.”

The Blues at one level have been outshooting the Wild 18-5 within the sport however trailed 2-0 on the targets by Hartman at 3:50 of the primary interval after Alexey Toropchenko was appropriately whistled for high-sticking Jacob Middleton within the impartial zone and Lauko’s shorthanded objective at 7:52 of the second when he fought off Jordan Kyrou earlier than beating Jordan Binnington excessive on the brief aspect.

After two intervals, the Blues held a 56-27 shot makes an attempt benefit and completed the sport with 72 shot makes an attempt, however missed the web 20 occasions.

“For 40 minutes, we performed some good hockey and weren’t capable of bear down on our possibilities,” Blues coach Drew Bannister stated. “Careless sticks that led to penalties they usually have been very opportunistic. … The objective within the third interval appeared to take the wind out of our sails fairly fast.”

It was a mistake by veteran Nick Leddy, who tried a fast out go to his proper that bounced off a skate and remained within the zone, and Marco Rossi put the sport out of hand 46 seconds into the third to make it 3-0.

“I’ve simply acquired to make a stronger play,” stated Leddy, who was moved all the way down to the third pairing with Matthew Kessel and Ryan Suter moved up with Colton Parayko.

The Blues acquired one — lastly — previous Gustavsson when Broberg and Zack Bolduc stored a puck within the Minnesota zone, and Mathieu Joseph scored his first as a Blue at 10:10 to make it 3-1 and provides a glimmer of hope for the house aspect.

It was not meant to be.

The Blues had a number of misfortunes that occurred. One when Kyrou scored that noticed referee Carter Sandlak blow the play useless pondering the puck was coated when replays confirmed it wasn’t, and Suter scored on the finish of the second however his floater went in simply after the horn sounded.

“It was an ideal go by ‘Tommer’ and the goalie made a helluva save there,” Kyrou stated. “I assumed the puck was free once I put it in.

“I feel we had a number of possibilities there and we could not capitalize. We allow them to get that one they usually acquired a fortunate break there on the ability play and we simply form of let it get away from us.

“We have been taking part in quick, aggressive, taking part in int he o-zone, taking part in fast, shifting the puck, attacking the web, getting photographs on internet, driving the web. I like that a part of our sport.”