Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich scored in the third period, propelling the St. Louis Blues to a 2-1 comeback victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night.
Ville Husso made 31 saves, helping the Blues extend their home point streak to 13 games, dating back to November 18. This streak marks the third-longest in franchise history.
“We knew they play hard, and there are no easy games, regardless of the standings,” Husso said. “We knew it would be tough, but everyone played a full 60 minutes, which was key for us.”
Alex Wennberg scored the lone goal for the Kraken, while Chris Driedger made 25 saves. However, Seattle suffered its sixth loss in seven games.
“It’s obviously frustrating,” Wennberg said. “We keep finding ways to lose games, especially in the third period. We’ve got to figure something out and take responsibility for what’s happening.”
Buchnevich scored the game-winner on a power play at 5:30 of the third period, thanks to a slick no-look pass from Ivan Barbashev.
This marked the Blues’ second consecutive third-period comeback. They also rallied to beat Dallas with two late goals on Sunday. St. Louis now leads the NHL with 13 comeback wins this season.
“Even when we’re down heading into the third, we’re confident,” Thomas said. “We started to take control in the second period. … We’ve got a special group that fights back, and our special teams came up big again.”
Thomas tied the game at 1-1 with a goal just 1:29 into the third period, with Torey Krug extending his point streak to six games by assisting on the play.
“It’s great to get the lead, but you must stay composed when things don’t go your way,” said Blues coach Craig Berube. “Our guys are good at sticking with it. We emphasize this a lot because if you want to be a top team, you need to be able to come back in games.”
Wennberg’s fourth goal of the season gave Seattle a 1-0 lead with five minutes left in the first period, breaking his 12-game scoring drought dating back to December 3.
“Just frustrated,” Driedger said. “You never feel good after a loss. It’s a team effort, and we’re not satisfied without getting the win. We’re in a tough stretch and need to find a way to turn it around.”
PANDEMIC IMPACT
The Blues played without five key players due to COVID-19 protocols. David Perron joined the list on Tuesday alongside Vladimir Tarasenko, Brayden Schenn, Colton Parayko, and Scott Perunovich.
“We were missing a lot of key players, and it’s not easy for the guys stepping in, but they played well,” Husso said.
WELCOME BACK
Since being selected by Seattle in the expansion draft, Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn played his first game in St. Louis. Dunn, a second-round pick by the Blues in 2015, was part of their 2019 Stanley Cup-winning team. He received a standing ovation during a video tribute in the first period.
Game Notes
Kraken winger Jordan Eberle became the first player from the franchise to be selected for the NHL All-Star Game. … Blues forward Jordan Kyrou earned his first All-Star selection. … Kraken defenseman Mark Giordano and Blues center Tyler Bozak hold the top two career point totals among active undrafted players, with 520 and 456 points, respectively. … Bozak played his 200th game with the Blues.
UP NEXT
- Kraken: Host the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
- Blues: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
