SAN JOSE, Calif. – On the eve of the trade deadline, the losing streak is over.
On the strength of a four-goal second period, and two power play goals, the St. Louis Blues won their first game since the Ryan O’Reilly trade, rallying from a 2-0 first-period deficit for a 6-3 win Thursday over San Jose at SAP Center. Pavel Buchnevich had a career high four assists.
The Blues had been 0-4-2 since O’Reilly was shipped to Toronto along with Noel Acciari on Feb. 17.
The Blues had scored as many as four goals in a period only once previously this season. They scored four in the third period of a 7-4 victory over the New York Islanders on Dec. 6.
Things got started early in the second period Thursday, when Nikita Alexandov sent a slick cross-ice pass to Colton Parayko at the net front. Parayko had a tap-in for his fourth goal of the season.
Less than three minutes later, Jordan Kyrou ended his season-long six-game goal drought beating Sharks goalie James Reimer glove side to tie the game at 2-2. Kyrou’s team-high 26th goal of the season came on – wait for it – a power play. The Blues entered the game on a 0-for-22 drought on the power play.
Next Logan Brown. Yes, Logan Brown scored his first goal of the season net front. Parayko carried the puck around the net, fed to Buchnevich in the near slot, who sent the puck to Brown for his first goal of the season and his first goal since April 23 of last season against Arizona.
Brayden Schenn topped off the four-goal period with his 17th goal of the season. It came on another net front tap-in, off a feed from Kyrou. And it came on the power play, giving St. Louis a 4-2 lead after two periods.
A doozy of a shot by Steven Lorentz of San Jose – a shorthanded goal at that – made it a 4-3 game at the 6:36 mark of the third period.
But after a turnover by San Jose, Tyler Pitlick scored his fourth goal of the season to make it a 5-3 Blues lead with 5:08 left. Kasperi Kapanen then scored an empty-netter for his first goal as a member of the Blues.
San Jose struck for two goals in the opening 61/2 minutes of play. Alexander Barabanov beat Justin Faulk to a loose puck and then skated in to beat Thomas Greiss just 3:50 into the game. It was Barabanov’s 12th goal of the season.
It became 2-0 Sharks less than three minutes later, when the Sharks skated in on a 3-on-2 rush. With plenty of open ice, Couture ripped a shot past Greiss – glove side – at the 6:31 mark for his 21st goal of the season.
Kyrou and Josh Leivo had good chances, but overall the Blues were outshot 10-4 in the opening period.
