Takeaways from Blues’ Close Win vs. Montreal

St. Louis has done an unbelievable job scoring in the first period this season, consistently starting games hot. The challenge this season hasn’t been getting off to fast starts—it’s been finishing games strong.

Responded Well to Adversity

After Schenn’s early goal, the Canadiens responded with two quick strikes, putting the Blues behind after one period. Lane Hutson tied it 1-1 after several failed clearing attempts by St. louis, then sneaking behind Logan Mailloux and executing a smooth deke to beat Binnington. Shortly after, Cole Caufield scored in front of the net following a clever setup: Dobson faked a shot, passed to Nick Suzuki behind the net, who then found Caufield in front to finish, making it 2-1.

Many teams might have folded after giving up two goals on minor defensive mistakes, but the Blues did the opposite. They came out in the second period and immediately scored twice to regain control.

Just 26 seconds into the second period, Dylan Holloway tied it 2-2 after a slick team play. Colton Parayko carried the puck up the ice and fed Schenn, leaving Hutson stranded on a 2-on-1. Schenn found Holloway on the way to the net, and Holloway pulled it to his backhand and finished.

Immediately after, the Blues took the lead 3-2 when Robert Thomas delivered a beautiful pass from behind the goal line to Buchnevich in front, who quickly snapped it in. The two goals came just 39 seconds apart.

Binnington Made Saves That Mattered Most

While an .885 save percentage might not sound impressive, Binnington came up big when it mattered most. The saves that stood out were both on Ivan Demidov in the second period—two incredible stops on the same Montreal attack, sliding across the crease to keep the Blues in the game.

Binnington faced 29 shots and stopped 26, including 12 grade-A chances. The Canadiens applied heavy pressure early, firing high-quality shots and relying on Binnington to bail the Blues out—and he did exactly that when it counted.

Schenn and Holloway Were Key

Schenn scored his second goal of the game with nine minutes remaining in the third period, making it 4-2 after another excellent setup from Holloway, giving him his second assist of the night.

Both Schenn and Holloway finished with three points, proving to be key factors in the Blues’ big win. It was great to see them step up and shine, especially after a season that hasn’t gone perfectly so far.

Holloway’s impact wasn’t just offensive—he also made an incredible defensive play. After Binnington lost his stick and a Montreal shot got through in front of the net, Holloway got his stick in the way, preventing a potential game-tying goal.

Another Late Game Scare

The Blues have developed a bit of a reputation for struggling late in games, and with the extra attacker on the ice, Noah Dobson scored a one-timer with 3:45 left in the third to cut the lead to one.

After the goal, Montreal dominated puck possession, pulling their goalie with 1:15 remaining for the extra attacker. The Canadiens applied relentless pressure, testing Binnington and the Blues’ defense. In the final seconds, Cole Caufield had one last chance to tie it, but Binnington made the clutch save to secure the win.