BLUES Dylan Holloway’s overtime goal gave the St. Louis Blues (14-13-2) a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, capping off their four-game road trip with a 3-1-0 record.
“I think it’s a very successful trip for us,” Holloway said after the game. “We won a huge divisional game in Winnipeg, grinded one out in Calgary, would have loved that one in Edmonton, but we were able to bounce back and win again [Tuesday] in overtime. So overall three out of four on the road, especially a long road trip like this, it’s definitely a success for the boys.”
The Canucks were the first to strike, giving them an early lead. However the Blues scored the next three goals, beginning with Zack Bolduc. Minutes later Robert Thomas netted the team’s first short-handed goal of the season. Late in the second, Jordan Kyrou tallied a power-play goal before the Canucks answered for a 3-2 score.
In the final two minutes of play, the Canucks pulled their goaltender for an extra forward, tying it up to send the game into OT. Just 1:40 into the extra period, Holloway carried the puck from the red line and fired it into the right side of the net to end the game.
Holloway’s two points (one goal, one assist) in Tuesday’s victory extended his seven-game point streak (six goals, five assists), which shares the longest active point streak in the NHL. Following the game, Head Coach Jim Montgomery praised Holloway and the team for their progress since he’s taken over.
“He’s been a pleasant surprise,” Montgomery said. “I think he is the best example of how lucky I am to be the head coach of the St. Louis Blues. Because the whole team has surprised me with their willingness to grow, their willingness to get better, their willingness to compete. I’m excited about what we can become.”
This win marked the team’s fifth under Montgomery, who took over head coaching duties on Nov. 25. Since Montgomery took over, the team is 5-1-1.
The Blues will now turn their attention to Thursday’s game when they host their annual Hockey Fight’s Cancer Night and look to sweep the season series with the San Jose Sharks in the two teams’ final matchup of the year.
SHARKS The San Jose Sharks (10-16-5) head to St. Louis on a three-game losing streak, most recently falling to the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Tuesday.
The Hurricanes capitalized first before San Jose’s Luke Kunin netted two goals for a 2-1 lead. The Hurricanes finished the game tallying two goals in the third for the final score.
Since the two teams last met on Nov. 21, the Sharks made a change in the goaltending department. On Monday, San Jose traded goalies, sending Mackenzie Blackwood to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Alexandar Georgiev. In 18 games this season, all with Colorado, Georgiev has an 8-7-0 record with a 3.38 goals-against average and .874 save percentage.
Both matchups between the two teams earlier this season have gone into extra time, with the Blues getting the better end of the bargain in both. The Blues won their first matchup on Oct. 10, 5-4 in OT, and their most recent game in a shootout, 5-4, on Nov. 21.
Since their last meeting, the Sharks have gone 4-5-0. They rank seventh in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference prior to Wednesday’s games.
