Blues Drop Hurricanes 4-3 In Memorable Game – Hockey Writers – St Louis Blues

St. Louis Blues defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Saturday night. Despite a frustrating first half, the Blues fought back with a strong second half before holding on in the third for victory. Although there is a lot to work on, there have been many positives from this game.

First time

Carolina dominated the first half, with Andrei Svechnikov scoring just one goal 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, and Jarvis adding three. Jack Roslovic and Jordan Martinook also played well but could not find the goal.

After shutting out the New York Islanders on Oct. 17, Hofer built on his strong play, stopping the last 18 shots he faced in the first half to keep the Blues within one goal. He faced an expected 1.27 goals against, according to MoneyPuck, and did an impressive job limiting the boundaries.

Second Time

Although the Blues struggled in the first half, they soon recovered. In the middle of the second half, Mathieu Joseph received a pass from captain Brayden Schenn in front of the net, turned around, and shot a puck past Pyotr Kochetkov, the game tied at 1-1. Mathieu's brother, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, also assisted on the goal.

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A minute later, Zack Bolduc won a puck battle, allowing Jake Neighbors to grab the puck and shoot it through traffic, beating St. Louis 2-1 lead. Less than two minutes later, Dylan Holloway received a pass from Philip Broberg and, with a brilliant move, slipped past Kochetkov, extending the Blues' lead to 3-1. The goal marked Holloway's first as a Blue, while Broberg extended his point streak to six games to start the season in his debut against St. Despite being outshot 27-15 at the time, the Blues entered the final frame with a 3-1 advantage.

Third Time

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 later, Roslovic continued his strong night by scoring his first goal of the game on a slap shot 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 back to take the lead, beating Kochetkov on the glove side to put the Blues back in front. Despite facing pressure late in the season, St. Louis was able to maintain its one-goal advantage, earning its second consecutive home win.

Outstanding Game

Hofer was a clear standout for the Blues. He stopped 37 of 40 shots and kept the Blues in the game despite a disappointing first half. While Jordan Binington has impressed, Hofer may soon find himself in net as a starter, a debate the team is happy to have.

Neighbors had another solid night, tallying a goal and an assist. The youngster looks sharp on his edges and does a great job helping play in transition despite only having 13:45 of ice time, a number that will increase.

Despite the loss, Svechnikov excelled, registering a goal and an assist. He had 19:38 of ice time, third most among Carolina forwards, and will look to build on his strong performance.

The Blues and Hurricanes will each have two days off before resuming action on Tuesday, October 22. The Blues will host the undefeated Winnipeg Jets at the Enterprise Centre, while the Hurricanes will head to Rogers Place to face the Edmonton Oilers.