Blues blitz Oilers in second period to stay in playoff hunt

Field Level Media|published: Thu 15th February, 23:03 2024

Feb 15, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues center Jordan Kyrou (25) reacts after scoring against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) during the second period at Enterprise Center. credits: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Neighbours and Robert Thomas had a goal and two assists each as the St. Louis Blues defeated the visiting Edmonton Oilers 6-3 Thursday night.

Jordan Kyrou, Pavel Buchnevich and Torey Krug had a goal and an assist each as the Blues won for the eighth time in their last 10 games to stay in the Western Conference playoff chase.

Brandon Saad also scored for St. Louis and Jordan Binnington made 35 saves.

Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Corey Perry scored and Connor McDavid had three assists for the Oilers, who suffered just their third loss in 21 games.

Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner allowed five goals on 29 shots.

Edmonton outshot the Blues 14-8 in the first period while taking a 2-1 lead.

The Blues struck first when Thomas scored midway through the period. Nick Leddy fired a cross-ice pass that found Thomas for the conversion at the right post.

Edmonton tied the game 1-1 on a power-play. Evan Bouchard shot into traffic, then McDavid slid the puck over to Draisaitl for a shot from the right flank.

The Blues survived the next Oilers power play, with Binnington denying Zach Hyman twice from point-blank range — once with his glove and once by reaching back with his skate.

But Nugent-Hopkins put Edmonton up 2-1 with 27 seconds left in the period by scoring during a goal-mouth scramble.

St. Louis blitzed the Oilers with four second-period goals to take a 5-2 lead.

Neighbours started the onslaught with a spinning follow shot 69 seconds in, his 19th goal of the season. Krug put the Blues up 3-2 after Neighbours slid the puck to him in front of the net.

The Blues scored their last two goals of the period on power plays. First, Neighbours set up Kyrou for a shot into the open left side of the net, then Thomas fed Buchnevich for a redirection on the low slot with just 25 seconds left in the period.

Perry cut the Blues' lead to 5-3 with 8:46 left to play with a rebound conversion, but Saad made it 6-3 with an empty-net goal in the closing minutes.

—Field Level Media