On Thursday night, the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues faced off for their second of three games this season. The Canucks came into this game fresh after being shut out at home by JT Miller and the New York Rangers. The Blues, on the other hand, were on a five-match losing streak and were desperate to get back into the win column.
Summary of the game
Shortly after the puck dropped to start the game, disaster struck for Vancouver. The Canucks began to control the puck in the Blues zone, and the puck came to Elias Nils Pettersson at the point. Pettersson shot the puck on a one-timer and it hit Brock Boeser in the midsection. Boeser hit the ice in pain and had to be helped off the ice to the locker room.
To add to the stinging pain, the Blues were the team to score the first goal of the match. Dylan Holloway cycled the puck to Oskar Sundqvist, and he sent the puck back to Holloway, and he fired a shot through Kevin Lankinen’s legs to give the Blues an early 1-0 lead. About 10 minutes later, Vancouver got on the board and tied the game with a power play goal. Jordan Binnington had some light abuse behind the net, which he handed off to Evander Kane, and he took the puck to the net. Kiefer Sherwood managed to knock in the loose puck and tie the game: 1-1. Sherwood’s goal was the final goal of the period as both teams entered the break tied.
St. Louis regained the lead shortly after puck drop to start the second period. Near the end of a Blues power play, Cam Fowler sent a stretch pass to Jimmy Snuggerud, and the rookie sent a puck past Lankinen to give St. Louis a 2-1 lead. Ten minutes later the Canucks answered back with another equalizer. Vancouver took advantage of a bad change from the Blues, and they set up Sherwood on a breakaway, and he dragged the puck to his backhand and put the puck on the shelf to tie the game at 2-2. Both teams tried to get the go-ahead before the end of the second, but were unable to do so. The second period ended just like the first: deadlock.
Unlike the previous two periods, goals did not come early in the frame. It took a good five minutes for a team to get on the board and take the lead. Near the seven-minute mark of the third period, the Canucks broke into the Blues zone. Aatu Raty fired a puck that was deflected toward the right boards onto the stick of the red-hot Sherwood. Sherwood shot from a bad angle and hit the top of the net behind Binnington. A wonder goal for Sherwood’s third of the game and ninth of the season. But soon after, the Canucks took a penalty, putting the Blues on a power play. Near the end of the lead, Cam Fowler sent a puck to the net and former Canuck Pius Suter put the puck into the open net to tie the game at 3-3.
Related: Kiefer Sherwood forces the Canucks to take notice
As the clock ticked, both teams appeared to take the lead late in the game. Vancouver seemed to have taken the lead thanks to a goal from Evander Kane. But the team was challenged by Blues coach Jim Montgomery for goaltender interference and was taken off the board, leaving the score at 3-3. After the disallowed goal, neither team could find the back of the net and take the lead, sending the match to extra time. In overtime, both teams had several chances to end the game, but no puck could beat either goaltenders and the game ended in a shootout. The first five shooters were stopped, but Jake DeBrusk was able to scoring on Binnington to get the Canucks back in the win column and hand the Blues their sixth consecutive loss.
Vancouver’s next game is Saturday in Minnesota against the Wild as they look to continue their winning ways. The Blues also play the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, hoping to end their losing streak.
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