Hockey season is back, folks.
And the St. Louis Blues, looking to bounce back in 2022-23 after a disappointing playoff exit last season, brought the intensity to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Scottrade Center on Saturday night. The 5-2 win features a combination of great saves, strong communication, and relentless offense.
Ivan Barbashev and Jake Neighbours scored 20 seconds apart in the third period and Jordan Binnington made 23 saves. Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice for St. Louis, who were the last NHL team to kickoff their season.
Gustav Nyquist and Sean Kuraly scored 18 seconds apart in the second period for Columbus, which has lost its first three games to open the 2022 season.
Barbashev snapped a 2-all tie in the game with a wrist shot from the slot with 9:17 left in the third period. Neighbours then doubled the lead with a backhander from close range which left everyone stunned.
Binnington, who stopped 62 of 64 shots in the preseason, halted Eric Robinson on a breakaway in the final period. For the last one and a half periods of the game, it was all St. Louis
Pavel Buchnevich, voted the #1 star of the game, scored for St. Louis as well.