Ducks Capitalize on Opportunities, Down Blues 4-1 in Snowy St. Louis Showdown
On a cold, snowy night in downtown St. Louis, the Blues closed out a three-game homestand with a tough 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, who wrapped up their two-game road trip on a high note. This was the first meeting of the season between these two teams, and Anaheim wasted no time setting the tone.
First Period: Fast, Physical, and Full of Action
The opening frame had all the energy you’d expect from two teams looking to make a statement. The Ducks struck first just over six minutes in.
Beckett Sennecke kept the puck alive in the offensive zone and threw a shot on net. Mason McTavish was in the right place at the right time, pouncing on the rebound and firing it home.
The shot took a deflection off Blues defenseman Cam Fowler, fooling Jordan Binnington and giving Anaheim the early edge.
But the Blues didn’t wait long to respond. Just 40 seconds later, Jordan Kyrou found the back of the net off a slick feed from Robert Thomas. The play started with Philip Broberg carrying the puck into the zone and Jake Neighbours winning a battle along the boards-classic gritty setup work that doesn’t always show up on the scoresheet but makes all the difference.
Momentum didn’t stay with St. Louis for long.
At 10:24, Pavel Mintyukov took matters into his own hands, skating into the zone and ripping a wrist shot past Binnington to put the Ducks back on top. That goal also marked the end of Binnington’s night.
Joel Hofer came in to relieve him, and it was clear there was a bit of tension on the bench as he exchanged words with head coach Jim Montgomery.
The Ducks edged the Blues in shots during the first period, 10-9, and held the 2-1 lead heading into intermission.
Second Period: Missed Chances and Tight Defense
The middle frame saw both teams tighten up defensively. Each side had a pair of power-play opportunities, but neither could capitalize.
St. Louis had perhaps the best chance late in the period when Thomas redirected a puck just wide of the net, but outside of that, it was a quiet 20 minutes on the scoreboard.
Anaheim continued to control the pace, outshooting the Blues 10-4 in the second. St. Louis struggled to generate sustained pressure, and the Ducks were doing a solid job clogging up the neutral zone and limiting clean zone entries.
Third Period: Ducks Put It Away
The Ducks added some breathing room early in the third. Just under six minutes in, Radko Gudas fired a shot from the point, and Leo Carlsson got a piece of it in front for the redirect-his 14th goal of the season. Carlsson continues to show a knack for getting to the dirty areas and making plays that matter.
With just under four minutes left, Montgomery pulled Hofer for the extra attacker, hoping to spark a late push. But the gamble didn’t pay off. Chris Kreider sealed the deal with an empty-netter, putting the game out of reach at 4-1.
The Blues did outshoot Anaheim 10-6 in the final period, but the Ducks held the edge for the game overall, 26-23. More importantly, they were far more efficient with their chances.
What’s Next
For the Blues, this one stings. They had moments of strong play, especially early, but couldn’t sustain pressure or finish their opportunities. With the homestand now in the rearview mirror, they’ll need to regroup quickly as the schedule doesn’t get any easier.
Anaheim, meanwhile, continues to show growth. They played a disciplined, opportunistic game and got contributions up and down the lineup. If they can keep stringing together performances like this, they’re going to stay in the conversation deep into the season.