Binnington leads Blues past Avalanche for ninth straight win
Published
DENVER (AP) — Zack Bolduc and Pavel Buchnevich each scored a goal for St. Louis and the Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Saturday to extend their win streak to nine consecutive games.
Bolduc opened the scoring with 9:03 left in the first period and Nathan MacKinnon scored on one-timer for the Avalanche to make it 1-1 about a minute later. The 29-year-old MacKinnon has 52 points (18 goals, 34 assists) in 49 regular-season games against the Blues, in addition to 17 points (9, 8) in 11 playoff games.
The Avalanche, who had a four-game win streak snapped, went into the game allowing an NHL-best 2.00 goals per game since Feb. 1.
The Blues took a 2-1 lead in the four-game regular-season series between the teams. The Avs won 5-0 at home on Jan. 31 while the Blues won 3-1 on Feb. 23 in St. Louis.
Takeaways
Blues: St. Louis extended the longest active win streak in the NHL and has outscored its opponents 39-13 during that span.
Avalanche: Colorado had its 11-game home win streak snapped and lost at Ball Arena for the first time since a 3-2 overtime defeat at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 22.
Key moment
Buchnevich, in front of the net, put away the rebound of a shot by Ryan Suter with 11:06 to play when his putback trickled inside the post and past goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to give the Blues a 2-1 lead.
Key stat
Jordan Binnington finished with 28 saves for St. Louis, including a sprawling glove-side stop in the closing seconds of an Avalanche power play with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the second period.
Up next
The Blues play the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday in the first of four consecutive home games. The Avalanche wrap up a four-game home stand Monday against the Calgary Flames.
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