Blues stay hot, beat Avalanche for 9th straight win

Pavel Buchnevich scored a tie-breaking goal midway through the third period and the surging St. Louis Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in Denver on Saturday.

Zack Bolduc also scored, Robert Thomas had two assists and Jordan Binnington turned away 28 shots for St. Louis (40-28-7, 87 points), which has won nine in a row -- the longest current streak in the NHL.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and Mackenzie Blackwood had 25 saves for Colorado (45-26-3, 93 points), which had its 11-game home winning streak snapped.

MacKinnon's goal extended his home point streak to 24 games.

The game was tied after two periods and the Blues got two power plays in the first six minutes of the third but couldn't convert on either. They scored the go-ahead goal after the second opportunity.

St. Louis had the puck deep in the Avalanche zone and got it to Ryan Suter at the top. Blackwood made a save on Suter's shot from the point but Buchnevich knocked in the rebound at 8:54.

Blackwood came off for an extra skater with about two minutes left and Colorado pressured for the tying goal, but Binnington was able to make big saves to preserve the win.

It was a fast-paced game throughout the first period, and both teams took advantage of prime chances. The Blues struck first after Jack Drury went off for sending the puck over the glass midway through the frame.

They worked the puck around the offensive zone to Thomas along the left boards. Bolduc drifted to the far side of the slot, Thomas sent him a pass and Bolduc one-timed it past Blackwood at 10:57.

The Avalanche answered right away with its top line. Artturi Lehkonen carried the puck into the St. Louis zone and worked it to Jonathan Drouin. Drouin sent a pass to Cale Makar, whose shot was blocked in front.

Devon Toews flipped the rebound to MacKinnon on the left side of the crease, and he roofed it by Binnington at 12:09.

--Field Level Media