Watching these 9:30 CST games will take some getting used to…

The NHL re-aligned the divisions for the 2020-21 season due to the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic, which placed the Blues in the Western Division. Because of that, the majority of games this season will be at a later start time, typically 9:30 CST.

But it was worth the wait.

The St. Louis Blues spoiled the Avalanche’s anniversary celebration, defeating Colorado 4-1.

Celebrating their 25th anniversary as the Avalanche, Colorado capitalized on a power-play opportunity, as Andre Burakovsky scored on a one-timer early into the first period. However, it was the only goal Colorado would be able to muster for the remainder of the game.

Oskar Sundqvist tied it up in the first, and the Blues never looked back.

It was Jordan Kyrou who broke the 1-1 tie in the first period to give the Blues a 2-1 lead, Sundqvist notched two goals (one in the first and one in the third), giving him his 4th career two-goal game. Newly acquired Kyle Clifford, who celebrated his 30th birthday on Wednesday, notched a goal in the third as well.

Meanwhile, between the pipes, Jordan Binnington continued his dominance, stopping 26 of 27 shots.

“Excited to play hockey again.” Binnington said. “We came out strong as a team… the boys stepped up. We played right ‘til the end… Overall a pretty good night.”

Robert Thomas, who had two assists on the evening, was determined to show everyone that the Blues weren’t a fluke after their early exit from last year’s postseason.

“We’re ready to go, we’re ready to prove to everyone that we’re still a top team in this league and a Stanley Cup contender,” Thomas said. “That was our drive today, and I think we played a great team game and really showed everyone to not sleep on us.”

The Blues have a rematch against Colorado on Friday night at 8:00 CST. The game will be broadcasted on Fox Sports Midwest.

(Photo credit: AP Photo/David Zalubowski)