Jimmy Snuggerud scores twice in 5-2 win over Canucks as Blues sweep two-game road trip
Published in Hockey
The St. Louis Blues swept a two-game trip through Western Canada by beating the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 on Monday evening.
Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice, as the Blues also received goals from Brayden Schenn, Nick Bjugstad and Jake Neighbours (empty net). Jordan Binnington bounced back from an opening night loss by making 29 saves on the 31 shots he faced.
Kiefer Sherwood scored twice for the Canucks, including once shorthanded.
The Blues beat the Calgary Flames 4-2 on Saturday, and will return to St. Louis with a 2-1-0 record to begin a four-game homestand that starts vs. Chicago on Oct. 15.
Finally first
In each of the their first two games this season, the Blues allowed the first goal of the game. Not on Monday, as Snuggerud’s goal 8:48 into the game gave St. Louis its first first-period lead of the season.
The Blues were previously outscored 3-0 in the first period during games vs. Minnesota and at Calgary.
Snuggerud scored his first goal of the season by finding his way to the net front, collecting a deft pass from Pius Suter and firing a turnaround shot past Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen. Snuggerud started the first two games on the top line with Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas, but each time was moved down the lineup as Jake Neighbours was elevated.
On Monday, Snuggerud slotted in on the third line with Suter and Mathieu Joseph. He was playing in just his 10th NHL regular-season game after joining the Blues during the stretch run in the spring.
Power play gives … and takes
In the second period, the Blues special teams helped and then it hurt.
Snuggerud scored his second of the evening at 8:13 of the period, giving the Blues a 3-1 lead on a successful forecheck on the man advantage. Cam Fowler installed the puck deep, then Thomas and Schenn jarred the puck loose along the boards. Buchnevich was able to find Snuggerud at the edge of the crease, and the rookie winger roofed the puck.
It was Snuggerud’s first multi-goal game of his NHL career and the Blues’ second power-play goal in the young season.
But on the next Blues power play, St. Louis gave the goal right back. Fowler bobbled Buchnevich’s pass back to the blue line, springing Kiefer Sherwood on a breakaway. Sherwood deked Binnington, and finished to cut the Blues lead to 3-2 with 7:48 remaining in the second period.
Last season, the Blues were one of the league’s best at preventing shorthanded goals. They allowed just five, which was tied for ninth-fewest in the NHL.
Off to the races
The Blues twice capitalized on the rush to supplement their offense on Monday evening.
Just 2:10 into the second period, Schenn gave the Blues a 2-0 lead. Philip Broberg’s stretch pass hit Jordan Kyrou at the far blue line, and Kyrou held off a Quinn Hughes backcheck before hanging onto the puck, waiting and slipping a pass through Logan O’Connor to a streaking Schenn. Schenn hammered a shot home for his first of the season.
With 6:15 remaining in the second period, Bjugstad once again re-established a two-goal Blues lead as he scored to make it a 4-2 game. After Hughes took a shot on goal, that left Filip Hronek as the only Vancouver defenseman to defend a 3-on-1 rush. Alexandre Texier lugged the puck up ice, then found Nathan Walker as the trailer. Walker’s shot clipped Bjugstad, who was driving the net hard.
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