Blues Finish Off Season Sweep of Ducks

Blues Finish Off Season Sweep of Ducks
St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington (50) blocks the goal while Anaheim Ducks left wing Max Comtois (44) closes in during first period at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Mar. 25, 2023. (Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports via Field Level Media)
Field Level Media
3/26/2023
Updated:
12/30/2023

Brayden Schenn and Kasperi Kapanen each had two goals and an assist as the St. Louis Blues defeated the host Anaheim Ducks 6–3 Saturday, March 25, to complete a three-game season series sweep.

Jakub Vrana and Sammy Blais each had a goal and an assist for the Blues (33–33–6, 72 points), who are 6–2–1 in their last nine games. Colton Parayko had three assists and Justin Faulk had two.

Jordan Binnington made 22 saves in his first start for the Blues since March 12.

Troy Terry had a goal and an assist for the Ducks (23–40–10, 56 points) before exiting with an undisclosed injury after two periods.

Nikita Nesterenko and Ryan Strome also scored, and John Gibson made 30 saves for Anaheim, which is 1–5–1 on its homestand, which has one game left.

Anaheim struck first with a power-play goal. Kevin Shattenkirk fed Terry for his blast from the left faceoff dot 1:46 into the game.

The Blues tied the game 1–1 just 15 seconds later. Faulk broke out on a 2–on–1 rush and set up Vrana’s backhand chip shot from the right wing.

But the Ducks retook the lead 2–1 just over two minutes later. Mason McTavish passed to Nesterenko, who scored his first NHL goal in his third game.

The Blues surged ahead 3–2 with two goals within 19 seconds.

First Blais pushed the puck up the right wing, then he cut left to beat Gibson. Schenn followed that by converting a breakaway off Faulk’s outlet pass.

The Blues increased their lead to 5–2 early in the second period with two goals 29 seconds apart.

Schenn scored off the left wing on a 3–on–2 rush by converting Vrana’s cross-ice pass. Then Gibson stopped Torey Krug’s left-point shot, but the rebound caromed off Kapanen and into the net.

Kapanen made it 6-2 by scoring 15 seconds into the third period with an end-to-end rush. Strome cut the deficit to 6–3 with a tap-goal at the right post.