St. Louis scored three times in 3:09, rally for second win in a row after rough first period, giving up lead in third; Kapanen nets game-winner
ST. LOUIS -- If the first period were any indication, the St. Louis Blues were in trouble against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Despite Carolina playing the night before, a 4-1 win against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Hurricanes carried that momentum over to the game against the Blues on Saturday.
Thanks to Joel Hofer, who stood tall and kept the Blues within one goal after one, St. Louis erupted for three goals in 3:09, and the Blues outlasted the Hurricanes 4-3 at Enterprise Center for their second win in a row.
Mathieu Joseph and Jake Neighbours each had a goal and an assist, Philip Broberg extended his point streak to a Blues record to begin a season and career for his new team by a defenseman and Hofer stood tall with 37 saves to improve to 3-0-0 for the Blues (4-2-0).
"For me, a lot of it started at the offensive blue line," Blues coach Drew Bannister said of falling behind 1-0 after one, outshot 19-4. "I think we had 12 turnovers at the offensive blue line. When you're doing that, you start to chase the game. We didn't play to the goal line, we weren't able to get to a forecheck. Against a team like that who transitions the puck so well, skilled forwards, that just plays into their game.
"I thought as a whole, our group in the second period was committed to playing to the goal line and it allowed our forwards to get in on the forecheck, get our 'D' more active to keep pucks alive on the walls. Then the offensive opportunities started to come for us."
The Blues didn't have to come into the locker room screaming at each other. They knew what it was and what needed to change.
"I think we just turned the puck over too much and then giving them a little too much time in our zone," said forward Kasperi Kapanen, whose third-period goal was the eventual game-winner. "I think after the first period we played some solid hockey."
Andrei Svechnikov, who had a goal and an assist, wasted little time in putting Carolina on top 1-0 just 1:21 into the game after Colton Parayko fumbled and lost a puck passed to him by Ryan Suter behind the Blues' net. Carolina pounced and Sebastian Aho found Svechnikov at the right side of the net that an outstretched Hofer nearly kicked out but couldn't quite get enough of it.
Carolina kept pouring it on and had it not been for Hofer's 18 saves in the period, the Blues would have faced a larger deficit.
"I think it's pretty cliche to say we've got to get pucks in deep, but we were honestly just turning pucks over too much in the neutral zone and trying to be too cute," said forward Dylan Holloway. "Once we kind of got to our game and got pucks deep and hammered their 'D,' I think it slowed the game down a bit. It eventually led to some more o-zone time and more offensive success."
It changed in the second period when the Blues were finally able to get pucks in behind the Carolina defense, go to work and it was the Joseph, Brayden Schenn and Holloway line that fueled the forefront of it all and that line got the ball rolling when Joseph made it a 2-1 game and gave the Blues some life at 10:22.
Joseph and Schenn went to work on the forecheck and Schenn won a puck while patiently waiting to find an open Joseph in the slot, just missing him. Joseph's brother, P.O. Joseph, pinched at the blue line, got the puck back in to Schenn, who found Mathieu Joseph in the slot for a spin and shot top shelf.
"'Schenner' held it down there and makes a pass after and it kind of missed me by not much and went back to P.O. and he did a good play after that," Mathieu said. "I was just in the right place and turned the right way and happy it went in.
"We put pucks deep and we kind of went to work. It's a team that plays extremely fast and have fast players. If you fuel their line rushes, you're spending a lot of time in your zone. After that, I think the whole team kind of followed. We got a couple quick ones and big saves by Hofer. I thought it was a good second and third for sure."
Neighbours put the Blues ahead 2-1 at 11:35 with a beautiful shot from the top of the right circle using Pavel Buchnevich as a screen. It came after Zack Bolduc made a strong play stick-checking the puck off the stick of Jack Roslovic, enabling Neighbours to curl around and shoot.
"Even going back to last game, 'Boldy' had an outstanding game," Bannister said. "I thought probably his third period was one of the best periods I've seen him play as a Blue. I thought he continued making an effort to finish his checks. His stick has been much, much better and it's starting to break up plays and create offense going the other way."
Holloway's highlight-reel goal made it 3-1 at 13:31 when the Blues moved the puck up ice into the zone, Broberg poised as ever maneuvered between two skaters, found Holloway going to the net in tight; he went between the legs and flipped it up and over Kochetkov and had the wherewithal to tap it in for good measure.
"I felt like that was the only thing I can do," Holloway said. "I was in tight so I figured why not try it. I've had some chances the last couple games and nice to see one go in.
"I just had to make sure. I just wanted that one bad, so I'm happy to see it go in."
Robert Thomas had a chance to emphatically put a stamp on the second period and make it 4-1 but his shot in alone was high and wide. Regardless, the Blues carried a two-goal lead into the third.
But Carolina is too good to not make it a game, and they struck quick to tie it.
After Parayko flipped a puck into the stands from his side of the ice with a trailer behind him, Shayne Gostisbehere made it 3-2 at 1:39 on a wrister from the blue line through traffic.
Then Roslovic tied it 3-3 after a Nathan Walker neutral zone turnover failing to get a puck in deep, and the Hurricanes turned it back and Roslovic blew a shot through Hofer from the top of the right circle at 2:57.
"I call time out, guys seemed to settle down," Bannister said. "They got back to work, we had a couple good shifts and we score shortly after that. Then you're just trying to make sure you're defending the lead, do proper things and make hard plays and simplify and high percentage plays."
Kapanen put the Blues ahead for good at 4-3 at 4:26 off a busted play with Parayko playing the puck that Neighbours deflected onto a speedy Kapanen, who took the puck from right to left at the blue line, curled around Carolina defenseman Brent Burns and went backhand, forehand and beat Kochetkov high glove.
"I think it was kind of just a broken play," Kapanen said. "Lucky enough I had quite a bit of speed there and just tried to kind of poke it to myself and backhand, forehand, high glove. That's what I'm used to doing. Happy it went in.
"I think first period wasn't our best, but then second period, we played pretty good. Stuff like that happens. They're a good team too. I think we handled it pretty well and it was a big win tonight."
The Blues had two power plays to ice the game late sandwiched around a Carolina power play that gave the Hurricanes a chance to tie it but the Blues, who were 0-for-4 with the man advantage, were able to hold on, thanks to Hofer's heroics.
"He was under siege a few times," Bannister said. "They're a team that puts a lot of pucks to the net from everywhere, so you have to be on your toes as a goalie. You can't be surprised by anything and I thought he stood tall and he did a great job."
"We kind of came out flat," Mathieu Joseph said. "Sometimes on a back to back when a team plays the night before, they're kind of fresh off the game. They had a good first period and credit to them, but 'Hofe' kept us in it. We adjust in the second and third and we didn't turn the puck over as much and played behind them."
