What is the reason why the St. Louis Blues goaltenders recently had some of their best games of the season against the Carolina Hurricanes?
The Hurricanes lost 3-1 against the Blues, a game that got off to a hot start...but ended quickly. Carolina led in almost every nightly statistic. They outshot them 32-17, defended them with 12 blocked shots versus nine, and even had a better hold on the puck with 11 giveaways versus 16.
However, the second and third periods lacked the same urgency and effectiveness as the first frame. Mark Jankowski was the only scorer for the Hurricanes, scoring his seventh goal of the season (in highlight reel-worthy fashion) just before half of the first period was played.
The Hurricanes looked great in the first twenty minutes, but struggled to keep the fire burning defensively and offensively for the next forty minutes.
Jimmy Snuggerud scored with a shot between the legs of Jakob Slavin, who also served as a screen for Brandon Bussey, and tied the game.
In the third period, with just under five minutes left to play, Snuggerud scored his second goal of the game after the puck bounced off Jalen Chatfield's stick.
Moments later, with the net empty, Seth Jarvis' pass was intercepted by Alexey Toropchenko, who passed it to Jack Finley, who sent it past goal scorer Pavel Buchnevich to seal the game 3–1.
difference maker
Storm's downfall was not a complete loss of generation. In fact, they created 29 scoring chances and 15 high-danger scoring chances, compared to the Blues' 16 and three. Instead, the collapse was caused by the efficient play of Jordan Binnington, who sparked his team with big saves and kept those flames burning with consistent stops. This appeared to be the 32-year-old veteran's best performance of the season, as he posted a save percentage of .969 (his best non-shutout save percentage of the season) and made 31 saves.
silver linings
Brandon Bussey played brilliantly. Both goals scored on him were particularly difficult shots, one of which came from behind his own man's screen – and through his skates – and the other managed to slip between pad and arm, stopping almost as soon as it was sealed.
However, one important difference was their persistence. In his last game, he struggled with this, which ultimately cost him a goal. In Thursday's game, he made stretch passes down the ice, found teammates' tape amid high-pressure situations and cleared the puck brilliantly. Sometimes goalkeepers may have off-days for certain aspects of the game, but this did not linger in their minds for their next start.
As for another look at the game, Logan Stankoven's line operated as a true second line against the Blues, with Stankoven himself logging 16:30 of ice time. Typically, Jordan Staal's line is given those heavy minutes, but the Tech third line was buzzing and definitely earned its minutes.
