The Oilers’ Zach Hyman scores against Blues goalie Jordan Binnington during the second period of a game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta.
Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
EDMONTON, Alberta — The Blues badly needed points to finish their road trip to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff chase.
With a 3-2 overtime loss to the Oilers on Wednesday night at Rogers Place, they only secured one of them.
Connor McDavid scored the game-winning goal for Edmonton with 25.3 seconds left in overtime. It had deflected off Jordan Binnington.
Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich scored for the Blues, while Zach Hyman tallied twice for the Oilers. Binnington made 32 saves for St. Louis.
Before the game-winner, both goalies traded massive saves to keep the game tied. Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner robbed Zack Bolduc on a two-on-none rush with a blocker save going to his right. Binnington, meanwhile, stuffed Leon Draisaitl’s one-timer from the right circle after a cross-seam feed from McDavid.
People are also reading…
The Blues entered the evening six points back of Nashville for the second wild-card spot in the West, a far cry from where they were just a week ago when they held that spot themselves. They carried two multigoal road losses into Wednesday in Edmonton: a 6-1 embarrassment in Detroit and a 4-2 loss Tuesday in Winnipeg.
St. Louis returns home for a game against Minnesota on Saturday before hitting the road for a five-game road trip through the east coast.
Hot start
In the first five minutes on Wednesday, the Blues assembled perhaps their best start to the season in building a 2-0 lead. Goals by Thomas and Buchnevich staked St. Louis to an early lead, but the Blues dominated the game as they generated chance after chance.
Thomas looked for a cutting Torey Krug in the first minute. Brandon Saad tried connecting with Nick Leddy on the rush. Bolduc’s saucer pass to Kevin Hayes was a touch too hot. The Blues didn’t put a shot on goal in those sequences, but all of them remained prime scoring chances.
Thomas got on the board at 2:19 of the first period just 14 seconds into a power play drawn when Leddy took a high-sticking penalty. Thomas won a faceoff to begin the possession and then received the puck with space on the right wing. After dusting it off, Thomas whipped a shot just under the far elbow.
It was Thomas’ 20th goal of the season, which ties his career high.
Buchnevich made it 2-0 at 4:49 of the first period from the left circle, one-timing a pass from behind the net from Jordan Kyrou. For Buchnevich, it was his seventh goal in the past seven games.
The Blues began the first period with a 4-1 edge in shots on goal, but the Oilers responded with 11 of the period’s final 15 shots, including Hyman’s power-play goal.
For St. Louis, entering the first intermission with a 2-1 lead was a welcome change. In the previous seven games, the Blues were outscored 12-3 in the first period, which included 3-1 in Winnipeg on Tuesday and 4-0 in Detroit on Saturday.
The last time the Blues outscored the opponent in the first period was Feb. 11 in Montreal, when they were up 3-1 after 20 minutes.
The Blues’ Nikita Alexandrov is checked by the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl during the second period of a game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta.
Hyman’s revenge
Hyman scored a goal in both the first and second periods on Wednesday, potentially getting his retaliation on Binnington for denying him on a pair of beautiful saves two weeks ago in St. Louis.
Back then, Binnington made a dazzling glove save to stone Hyman on the doorstep. He also submitted a toe save on another Hyman chance in tight.
On Wednesday, though, Hyman was able to sneak them past Binnington.
With 1:44 left in the first period, Hyman struck on the power play as he camped out at the net-front between Binnington and Leddy. As the puck went low to McDavid in the far corner, Hyman boxed out Leddy for interior position. The goal came just eight seconds into Hayes’ penalty for tripping.
Hyman scored off the rush to tie the game about five minutes into the second period. Hyman drove to the back post to finish a pass from McDavid as the Blues were changing defensemen. Earlier on the play, officials were hesitant to call a delayed offside on St. Louis, causing a pause from Jake Neighbours and allowing for a stretch pass from Evan Bouchard to McDavid.
Hyman’s second of the evening gave him 40 goals on the season for the first time in his career.
The Blues’ Pavel Buchnevich addresses the media on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, after a loss at Winnipeg. (Video courtesy St. Louis Blues)
Ethan Erickson
Photos: Blues fall in overtime at Edmonton
St. Louis Blues’ Robert Thomas (18) and Edmonton Oilers’ Cody Ceci (5) battle for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Kyrou (25), Robert Thomas (18) and Pavel Buchnevich (89) celebrate a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Branson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers’ Zach Hyman (18) is congratulated for a goal against the St. Louis Blues during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Branson/The Canadian Press via AP)
St. Louis Blues’ Robert Thomas (18) reaches for the puck as Edmonton Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm (14) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Branson/The Canadian Press via AP)
St. Louis Blues’ Jake Neighbours (63), Robert Thomas (18) and Torey Krug (47) celebrate a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Branson/The Canadian Press via AP)
St. Louis Blues’ Brandon Saad (20) and Edmonton Oilers’ Corey Perry (90) battle for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
St. Louis Blues’ Robert Thomas (18) is checked by Edmonton Oilers’ Brett Kulak (27) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Branson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers’ Zach Hyman (18) scores against St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington (50) during the second period of an NHL game in Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday Feb. 28, 2024 (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
St. Louis Blues’ Nikita Alexandrov (59) is checked by Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl (29) during the second period of an NHL game in Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday Feb. 28, 2024 (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers’ Zach Hyman (18) scores against St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington (50) during the second period of an NHL game in Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday Feb. 28, 2024 (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers’ Zach Hyman (18) and Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrate a goal against the St. Louis Blues during the second period of an NHL game in Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday Feb. 28, 2024 (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
St. Louis Blues’ Nick Leddy (4) and Edmonton Oilers’ Ryan McLeod (71) battle for the puck during the second period of an NHL game in Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday Feb. 28, 2024 (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
St. Louis Blues’ Oskar Sundqvist (70) and Edmonton Oilers’ Cody Ceci (5) battle for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Branson/The Canadian Press via AP)
St. Louis Blues’ Brandon Saad (20) and Edmonton Oilers’ Vincent Desharnais (73) vie for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Branson/The Canadian Press via AP)
St. Louis Blues’ Brandon Saad (20) and Edmonton Oilers’ Evan Bouchard (2) vie for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Branson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner makes a save as St. Louis Blues’ Brayden Schenn (10) looks on during the third period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Branson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!