Despite injuries sidelining Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly, and Torey Krug, the St. Louis Blues stepped up to the challenge. Coach Craig Berube’s call for players to rise to the occasion was answered as the Blues defeated the New Jersey Devils 5-3 on Thursday night.
Ivan Barbashev tied the game late in the second period and assisted on Brandon Saad’s go-ahead goal early in the third, propelling the Blues to victory.
“We talked about it, next-man-up mentality, and I think it’s just playing the right way,” said Saad, who has three goals in his last two games. “When you have injuries, you tighten up your game. We’re checking better, and we’re capitalizing on opportunities.”
Robert Thomas scored twice, Jordan Kyrou added a goal, and Jordan Binnington made 36 saves as the Blues improved to 7-2-3 in their last 12 games despite managing just 19 shots.
“We’ve got tons of depth,” said Thomas, who sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 43 seconds left. “That was our key last year, which made us so successful. We’ve got pretty much the same squad back. There’s no excuse for not performing when guys are out.”
Tarasenko, O’Reilly, and Krug are all expected to be out for four to six weeks, so the Blues must keep stepping up, especially after a rough start in November and early December.
Jack Hughes, who has six goals in his last four games, scored twice for New Jersey, and Nico Hischier added a goal on a two-man advantage late in the game to make the finish exciting.
Akira Schmid, recalled from Utica earlier in the day due to Mackenzie Blackwood’s injury, made 14 saves in his start. Vitek Vanecek had played the night before in Detroit.
The loss dropped New Jersey to 10-10-2 at the Prudential Center, though they are 14-2-1 on the road.
“We just want to continue to be successful on the road, and we’ve got to get better at home,” said Devils defenseman Damon Severson. “It’s as simple as that.”
Saad broke a 2-all tie 2:27 into the third period with his 11th goal of the season. The goal came after Dawson Mercer failed to capitalize on a short-handed breakaway attempt.
Thomas extended the lead to 4-2 with a power-play goal midway through the period from a difficult angle.
The Blues allowed New Jersey to return when Tyler Pitlick and Justin Faulk took penalties 15 seconds apart. Hischier extended his goal-scoring streak to a career-high five games with a deflection of a Dougie Hamilton shot, but New Jersey couldn’t tie it despite several good chances.
The teams were tied 2-2 after two periods, with Hughes scoring twice in the second period and the Blues getting goals from Kyrou in the first and Barbashev late in the second.
PALAT RETURNS
Ondrej Palat returned to the Devils lineup for the first time since October 24 against Washington. He had groin surgery on November 1. Palat played 18 shifts and 14:24 in the game.
Palat was signed to a five-year, $30 million contract by New Jersey this summer. He was drafted by Tampa Bay in 2011 and entered the league in 2014, winning Stanley Cups with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
UP NEXT
- Blues: At Montreal in the third game of a four-game trip.
- Devils: Host the Rangers on Saturday.
