GDT #13: Blues @ Golden Knights | 9:00 pm CT | BSMW, 101 ESPN
Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:50 am
TEAM SNAPSHOTS
BLUES Winning a back-and-forth game against the San Jose Sharks in front of a raucous crowd at Enterprise Center, the Blues ended their eight-game slide and got back into the win column Thursday night.
Picking up the win in their lone home game amidst a strech of five-of-six on the road was crucial for the Blues as they try to level things out and flip the momentum in the early weeks of their season. Scoring five goals against the Sharks provided a massive boost - their highest goal total since Opening Night.
"It was an awesome win - we really needed that," said Jordan Kyrou. "When you're in (a losing streak) it's tough, but we just have to keep battling and battle our way through it."
Kyrou, who scored a power-play goal on Thursday on a penalty he worked to draw himself, has been taking steps to ramp his game up after a slow start to the season.
"I think he's been doing that for a while," said Blues Head Coach Craig Berube. "His work ethic has been really good... He's getting a lot of good opportunities every game."
Though the losing streak is over, the Blues cannot take their foot off the gas. They'll be in for perhaps their biggest challenge of the season when they take on the NHL-leading Vegas Golden Knights on the road on Saturday, and will follow that up with a game against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche on Monday.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS The Vegas Golden Knights have been the best team in hockey so far this season, winning in statement fashion in Buffalo on Thursday for their ninth consecutive win and a 5-0-0 road trip.
Jack Eichel shined against his former team, scoring his third career hat trick and notching an assist for his first four-point game since the Golden Knights acquired him in November 2021.
"We stepped up in big moments in the game, and found a way to cap off our road trip in the right way," said Eichel.
Eichel leads the club with 19 points, while former Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo is third with 13 points. Both players have led Vegas to the start they needed. Missing the postseason for the first time in club history last year, the Golden Knights have now come out of the gate hot and look to be a formidable force again in the Western Conference.
Vegas hosts the Blues on Saturday for their first of a three-game home stand, which will continue against San Jose and Arizona. Their 13-2-0 record, worth 26 points, leads the Pacific Division, the Western Conference and the entire NHL.
HEAD-TO-HEAD The Blues went 2-1-0 against the Golden Knights last season, winning their lone battle at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas. This will be the first of three battles against the Golden Knights, the others coming Dec. 23 in Vegas and March 12 in St. Louis.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Jordan Kyrou, who is hoping his strong recent play can continue onto the score sheet. Kyrou's four goals on the season share the team lead, and his 18:46 of average ice time so far represents a career high.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS Jack Eichel, who has been one of the NHL's best in his second season with Vegas. Eichel's 19 points share No. 8 in the League (currently one point shy of 400 for his career) as of Friday afternoon, and he has nine points in his last five games.
BLUE NOTES
Many of the Blues' mothers will join the team on the road after their game in Vegas, traveling from all over the world to watch their sons play... Ryan O'Reilly is expected to dress in his 300th game as a Blue on Saturday... Pietrangelo still ranks No. 1 in Blues history among defensemen in assists (341), and ranks second in goals (109) and points (450)... The Blues have given up only seven first-period goals this season, sharing second in the NHL.
The Vegas Golden Knights can match their franchise-record 10-game winning streak when they open a three-game homestand on Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues in Las Vegas.
Vegas, which won 10 in a row in April of 2021, leads the NHL with 13 victories and 26 points in 15 games. The Golden Knights completed a sweep of a five-game eastern road trip on Thursday with their ninth straight win, a 7-4 victory at Buffalo, as Jack Eichel scored his third career hat trick and finished with four points.
It was Eichel's second game at KeyBank Center since a Nov. 4, 2021 trade to the Golden Knights for Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs. Eichel, who left on controversial terms with the Sabres who were against his decision to have eventual disc replacement surgery in his neck, was booed each time he touched the puck. Eichel made a point to acknowledge the crowd after each of his goals.
"It's satisfying to come in here and win," said Eichel, who has a team-best nine goals and 19 points. "I think that's the most important thing for our group. They were desperate and they gave us everything that we could handle and we found ways to make the plays when we needed to."
"No one likes to see a teammate get booed, right?" Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy added. "I'm going to say it as simple as I can. It hurts everybody, right, especially if you are a close-knit team. So we're happy for him."
After failing to make the playoffs for the first time in team history last season, Vegas heads home leading the NHL in both wins and points after one month of action.
"It's pretty good," captain Mark Stone said of the start. "Probably the best start of my career. We've had good health, great goaltending. The defense has been good. Jack's kind of leading the way offensively, but if you look down the board so many guys are chipping in offensively. That's why we're a good team, I think, because we have depth scoring. We've got to go home and carry the momentum."
Waiting for the Golden Knights is a St. Louis team that ended an eight-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over visiting San Jose on Thursday. It was the team's first win since a 2-0 blanking of Edmonton on Oct. 22.
Defenseman Calle Rosen scored the game-winner at 8:20 of the third period on a one-timer off a Robert Thomas pass. It was Rosen's fourth career goal and first of the season.
"It was obviously a good (feeling), for sure," St. Louis coach Craig Berube said of snapping the losing streak. "You lose as much as we have lately and it's really not a good feeling. Got a win. It was a battle, but we got a win and did a lot of good things tonight."
The Blues now hit the road for three games, the final two of which will be part of the team's first-ever Mom's Trip. Twenty-two mothers will join the Blues in Denver before the Monday night's game with the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche and will then fly with the team to Chicago for Wednesday's road trip finale. The mothers will attend morning skates, sit in on team meetings, ride on the team bus and also eat pregame meals with the squad.
"We've got a tough road trip coming up," Thomas said. "Vegas, Colorado, Chicago -- they're all playing well. It's a good time to go on a run."
