Avalanche loses at St. Louis in last game before all-star break
ST. LOUIS» A big third-period push didn’t overcome a slow start Thursday night as the previously red-hot Avalanche lost its second consecutive game, falling 3-1 to the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center on the final night before the NHL all-star break.
Blues goalie Carter Hutton (36 saves) outplayed the Avs’ Jonathan Bernier (31) and St. Louis continued its dominating ways in this Central Division series.
The Blues have won eight of their last nine games against Colorado and have earned points in 11 straight (8-0-3).
“They came out with the competitive level we didn’t come out
at and that leads to a two-goal deficit,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said.
At home against the Avs, who had their 10-game winning streak snapped Tuesday at Montreal, St. Louis has won 12 of its last 14 games. The Blues outshot Colorado 17-8 in the first period but the Avs — who were missing a handful of players to injury or illness — played better and better as the game went on.
“We pushed back and had chances and did a better job of playing in the offensive zone, but we got to play a full 60 minutes,” said rookie center Alex Kerfoot, who scored the Avs’ goal. “We can’t come out for the first 20 like that.”
Leading 2-1 late in the third period, St. Louis iced its win on Alex Steen’s goal with 1:20 remaining, after Colorado peppered Hutton but couldn’t score.
“The message was, give everything you had,” Colorado defenseman Nikita Zadorov said. “There was nothing to save for. All the boys stepped on the ice and worked hard. We put our hearts in it, but their goalie played well. Luck wasn’t on our side this night.”
The Avs, who allowed two power-play goals to trail 2-0 midway through the game, got within 2-1 late in the second period. It was an all-rookie goal — scored by Kerfoot, with winger Tyson Jost and defenseman Anton Lindholm getting the assists. Lindholm made the shot from the point, with Jost getting a stick on it and Kerfoot tapping in the loose puck from the doorstep.
St. Louis took its 2-0 lead with its second power-play goal at 11:28 of the second period. Brayden Schenn used a screen in front to beat Bernier with a wrist shot from the right circle.
Avs all-star center Nathan MacKinnon had the only two penalties of the first period, and the second — a borderline high stick to the chin of Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo — led to Paul Stastny’s power-play goal and a 1-0 lead 15:53 into the game. Avs captain Gabe Landeskog didn’t like the call, accusing Pietrangelo of selling it. But it didn’t matter.
“Really liked the start to our game tonight,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said. “I think we do have a lot of respect for our opponent tonight, with their skill level, and they showed that.”