Brayden Schenn and Kasperi Kapanen each had two goals and an assist to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 6-3 win over the Ducks on Saturday night at the Honda Center.
Jakub Vrana and Sammy Blais also scored in a three-goal first period, and Jordan Binnington made 22 saves for St. Louis. Louis’ fourth win in five games. The sixth-place Blues (33-33-6) will miss the playoffs for the second time since 2011, but they lost to the Ducks (23-40-10) while scoring at least five goals for the third time. in the last six games.
“The team played a great game,” said Kapanen, who matched his fifth career three-point game. “I think we have a great core. Today was a good example, and we hope it will be like this in the future.”
Jordan Binnington made 22 saves in his first game of action after a two-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct — namely, hitting Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman in the head during a head-to-head with his blocker with the Wild on March 15. Binnington returned from his suspension two games ago. , but Joel Hofer sat behind the AHL call-up.
Blue center Brayden Schenn shoots for the first period goal. Schenn finished with two goals and an assist.
(Alex Gallardo/Associated Press)
Binnington gave up goals in Anaheim’s first two shots, but recovered in plenty of time to earn his 23rd win.
“In the beginning, I wanted to find that rhythm, and I think it took a while,” Binnington said. “I was happy to play hockey. … We will continue to build, and the boys use this time to develop their game and then take it with us”.
Schenn notched his seventh career 20-goal season with his first point, while Kapanen matched his career high with his fifth three-point game.
Nikita Nesterenko scored his first NHL goal and John Gibson stopped 30 shots for the Ducks, who have lost four straight. Troy Terry and Ryan Strome also scored as the lottery-seeded Ducks dropped to 1-5-1 on an eight-game homestand, a franchise-record fifth straight season without a playoff appearance in the final weeks of the season.
The Ducks had another miserable night, emphasizing that they are the worst defensive team in the NHL this year and one of the worst in recent seasons. The Ducks have already set a franchise record for goals allowed, bringing the total to a league-high 297, and their goal differential has dropped to an NHL-worst minus-108.
“For whatever reason, we wanted to get into a track meet,” Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said. “And we are not built to overcome our mistakes. … We could have had a lot more time in the (attacking) zone, a lot more chances if we had been more responsible.”
Terry scored his 21st goal just 1:46 after the opening faceoff on a power play, but the Ducks pulled one back 15 seconds later, their poor spacing allowing Vrana to score just his seventh goal.
Nesterenko, the Ducks’ 21-year-old rookie, scored his first NHL goal in his third game, converting a short-angle shot off a pass from Mason McTavish just 4:05 into the first period.
Ducks right wing Troy Terry, right, is congratulated after scoring in the first period.
(Alex Gallardo/Associated Press)
A native of Brooklyn, NY, Nesterenko played at Boston College. Minnesota drafted him in the sixth round in 2019, and the Ducks acquired John Klingberg three weeks ago by sending him to the Wild.
Blais and Schenn put the Blues ahead with goals 19 seconds into the first period, taking advantage of the Ducks’ woeful defensive coverage for two points.
St. Louis took a 5-2 lead 91 seconds into the second half when Schenn and Kapanen scored 29 seconds apart.
Terry, the Ducks’ two-time All-Star forward, missed the third straight season for undisclosed personal reasons.
the next
Blues: Sunday at Royals.
Ducks: Host Colorado on Monday.