At the top of Craig Berube’s to-do list Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights was a quick start.
“I think the start of the game is critical,” Berube said following the day’s morning skate.
Apparently, the Blues — especially Vladimir Tarasenko — were listening. Steaming down the slot, Tarasenko beat Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury glove side for his third goal of the season just 48 seconds into the contest.
With the rare lead, the Blues eventually made it 3-0 and snapped their seven-game winless streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Winning only for the fifth time at home all season, the fifth-place Blues improved to 17-16-6 overall, for 40 points.
Vegas fell to 25-11-2 despite firing 46 shots at Jordan Binnington.
Tarasenko’s goal marked the fourth time this season the Blues had scored in the opening minute of a game. More importantly, it was only the second time in their last 13 games the Blues had scored first.
“It’s always tough to come from behind, no matter who you’re playing in this league,” Tyler Bozak said during Tuesday’s off day. “It’s extremely tough to get that first goal. I think a lot of games lately, we’ve been playing from behind and have to change up our game plan a little bit.”
Not only did the Blues score first Wednesday, they scored second as well.
Sammy Blais went from the Berube doghouse to the scoresheet, notching his fourth goal of the season at the 7:21 mark of the first period. Blais, who had been a healthy scratch in four of the past five games, scored from a similar area on the ice as Tarasenko, and on a similar shot, beating Fleury glove side for a 2-0 lead.
The Blues hadn’t had a 2-0 lead since March 28 against Anaheim, a game they ultimately lost 3-2 in overtime. And entering Wednesday’s contest, the Blues had led for only 39 minutes 46 seconds during their seven-game winless streak (0-6-1).
So it was rare territory for the beleaguered Blues — playing from ahead, not behind.
A fight involving Ryan Reaves, or Kyle Clifford for that matter, isn’t rare. They went at each other midway through the first. Reaves got the best of the fight, but it’s the thought that matters, right?
It was a focused and aggressive start for the Blues. Jake Walman, back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch Monday, was a force on defense, pushing Vegas players out of the crease, breaking up a would-be breakaway, and playing tough along the walls.
Binnington was aggressive in goal, coming out of his crease to cut down angles and playing with confidence if not . . . swagger.
The second period, though, has been a challenge for the Blues’ goaltender. Entering Wednesday’s game, he had given up more goals in the second (36) than in the first (22) and third (13) periods combined.
But Binnington weathered the storm this time; and it was a storm. It was almost as if the Blues were on the penalty kill all period given the amount of zone time the Golden Knights had.
And the Blues were in the box a few times. Jaden Schwartz went off for hooking just 47 seconds in. And then Justin Faulk took a seat for high-sticking at the 5:22 mark. With the period winding down, Robert Thomas sent the puck over the glass in a clearing attempt gone bad. He went to the box for delay of game with 1:46 left in the period.
But with the return of Bozak, Ivan Barbashev and now, Colton Parayko, the Blues penalty kill has improved lately. After killing off the Thomas penalty in the opening seconds of the third period, the Blues were 18-for-20 on the PK over eight games.
Vegas outshot the Blues 17-4 in the period, which is lopsided, but it seemed like 27-4. But Binnington, in search of his first shutout since Feb. 20 of last season (a 1-0 win against Arizona), was strong. He stopped point-blank shots from Mark Stone, Alex Tuch and Keegan Kolesar among others in the period.
The swarming by the Golden Knights continued in the third period, with the Blues throwing an occasional counter shot or two Vegas’ way.
Vegas’ Nick Holden had the puck at his feet on the crease and an open side of the net staring at him about six minutes into the third. But he couldn’t get a clean whack on the rolling puck and the Blues were out of trouble.
Finally, with the clock winding down, Jordan Kyrou used his speed to reach a loose puck in the neutral zone. He raced down the ice but couldn’t quite get a breakaway going. So he circled in his zone, then sent a wrist shot at Fleury.
The rebound bounced out to Walman, jumping up into the play, for a one-timer and his first NHL goal. More importantly, it gave the Blues an insurmountable lead with 6:29 to play.
Insurmountable, but Vegas wasn’t done. Nicolas Roy spoiled Binington’s shutout attempt with a shot from the right circle through traffic for just his seventh career goal and his second of this season. So it was now a 3-1 Blues lead with 4:16 to play.
And then more suspense. Marco Scandella went to the penalty box with 3:13 to play. It was another delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass. And during their power play — the fourth of the night for Vegas — the Golden Knights pulled Fleury to make it a 6-on-4 situation.
But the Blues killed it off, with Binnington robbing Mark Stone just as the power play ended. And finally picking up a victory.
