Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
E-edition PLUS unlimited articles & videos
Personalized news alerts with our mobile app
*FREE access to newspapers.com archives
Hundreds of games, puzzles & comics online
*Refers to the latest 2 years of stltoday.com stories. Cancel anytime.
The Blues’ Pavel Buchnevich speaks with the media on Saturday, March 29, 2025, after a win at Colorado. (Video courtesy St. Louis Blues)
DENVER – As the two points were still being added to the Blues’ total, as the shadow of a win streak stretched to nine games, and as the Avalanche’s 11-game home win streak was drawing its last breath, the six Blues on the ice were trying to locate theirs while basking in the glow of a 2-1 win in Colorado.
Jake Neighbours laid face down on the ice in exhaustion. Philip Broberg was done battling at the net-front. Pavel Buchnevich was “glad that long shift happened not in the first period, (but) in the third at the end, still kind of catching my breath.” Brayden Schenn fought through equipment issues. Justin Faulk’s 145-second shift was the longest of them all. And Jordan Binnington held the puck in his glove.
That was the price of victory.
“It’s just a free for all out there, guys laying out everywhere, extended shifts,” Binnington said. “It’s just chaos, and trust your hockey sense and make reads with whatever energy you’ve got. We found a way to get it done against a talented group there. Just a hard-fought, character finish.”
In the final two minutes of the third period, as the Avalanche tried desperately to tie the game and send it to overtime, Colorado had eight shot attempts. Three were saved by Binnington. One was blocked by Schenn, another by Faulk. Three missed the net.
It was emblematic of just how the Blues reached nine straight wins, the team’s longest win streak in three years and two away from tying the franchise record set in 2019. Overall, the Avalanche had almost as many shots blocked (28) as they had on goal (29), and six different Blues finished the night with multiple shot blocks.
“There’s something going on special right now, and it’s great to be a part of it,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “I’m very grateful to be here.”
Buchnevich scored the game-winning goal with about 11 minutes left in the third period, cleaning up a rebound at the net-front to support Binnington’s 28 saves and Zack Bolduc’s first-period goal. Robert Thomas had two assists, his fourth straight multi-assist game.
Nathan MacKinnon scored Colorado’s only goal of the game.
The win moved the Blues into a tie with Minnesota for the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, as each team has 87 points. The Wild, though, own the tiebreaker having played one fewer game than St. Louis.
It pushed them six point ahead of Vancouver, though the Canucks have two games in hand.
This season, only the Jets (11) have a longer win streak than the Blues’ current nine-game one.
“I think it’s a lot of little moments that lead to big moments,” Binnington said. “We’re finding a way to get it done. It’s everyone, top to bottom, everyone’s having a contribution. You’ve just got to keep focusing one game at a time, focusing on these little moments and see what happens at the end.”
Bolduc and MacKinnon’s goals in the first period highlighted an up and down period with plenty of chances for both teams. But they combined for seven shots at 5 on 5 in the second period as the game tightened up. Then the Blues continued to do what has helped them charge from playoff afterthought to the first wild card position: submit a strong third period.
The Blues outshot the Avalanche 13-11 in the final period, and 7-4 at 5 on 5. They drew three penalties and held on for their second straight one-goal win after a 3-2 victory in Nashville on Thursday night.
“Our third periods have been excellent here for maybe this entire run,” Montgomery said. “Our game management has been excellent. We’ve gone into the last two third periods expecting to win. That’s what’s happening because they believe. When you believe, you can achieve.”
Buchnevich scored on the doorstep, pouncing on a rebound of Ryan Suter’s shot to muscle it just through Mackenzie Blackwood. Earlier on the shift, Buchnevich won a loose puck after Bolduc’s shot, allowing the Blues to retain possession.
“I just tried to get in front of the net,” Buchnevich said. “Puck hit me, I got a rebound goal. I doesn’t even see it what it is that happened.”
Thomas’ two-assist night tied the franchise record for consecutive multi-assist game, last done by Doug Weight in 2002. Craig Janney, Adam Oates, Blake Dunlop and Garry Unger are the only other Blues to do so.
Thomas had the primary assist on Bolduc’s first-period goal, saucing a pass into the slot for Bolduc to one-time. Thomas also had options with Oskar Sundqvist at the near post and Buchnevich positioned at the far one.
“Buchy sets it up nice,” Thomas said. “I’m just reading that guy on the far side. If he goes low to Buchy, it’s to Boldy and vice versa. It’s a great shot by him, it was a hard pass, he had to get it while it was landing and put it in a great spot.”
It’s been well-documented what the Blues have shrugged off in the last month.
Their best defenseman has missed the last dozen games. A key forward missed four games. They had to fight through tired legs against outpunching bottom-feeders. They had to fly on the same day as the game. They had to orchestrate two third-period comebacks. And then they had to come into altitude and beat the hottest home team in the league in their own barn.
“Everyone’s been stepping up huge,” Thomas said. “Any given night, someone’s stepping up and making a big difference, not always offensively, or whether it’s checking or defensively. When you have everyone going on the same page and pulling the rope together, we’re a dangerous team.”
As the Blues have thrown themselves further up in the Western Conference standings, they’ve likely become the team that no one wants to face in the first round. And the Blues are thankful for the type of game Saturday provided.
“It’s playoff hockey,” Montgomery said. “That’s what we’re going to be seeing.”
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, right, collects the puck as St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg, front left, and left wing Jake Neighbours cover in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn, right, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson defends in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Blues left wing Pavel Buchnevich, left, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche center Parker Kelly, front right, and defenseman Keaton Middleton pursue in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Blues center Zack Bolduc, left, is congratulated after scoring a goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Blues center Zack Bolduc is congratulated as he passes the team box after scoring a goal against the Colorado Avalanche in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen, left, clears the puck as St. Louis Blues center Zack Bolduc defends in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas pursues the puck in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Blues left wing Pavel Buchnevich, left, fights for control of the puck with Colorado Avalanche center Jack Drury in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood pulls on his gloves before the second period of an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, left, collects the puck as St. Louis Blues center Dylan Holloway defends in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinski, left, and St. Louis Blues right wing Alexey Toropchenko pursue the puck in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche center Charlie Coyle, left, is checked by St. Louis Blues center Dylan Holloway in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, right, puts a shot on St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington in the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn, right, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon defends in the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, right, stops a shot off the stick of Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin in the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinski, top, collides with St. Louis Blues center Oskar Sundqvist in the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin, front, collects the puck as St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington covers the net in the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Blues left wing Pavel Buchnevich, left; goaltender Jordan Binnington, right; and defenseman Philip Broberg react after stopping an onslaught of shots from the Colorado Avalanche as time ran out in the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Blues right wing Alexey Toropchenko, left, congratulates goaltender Jordan Binnington after an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
Hockey reporter
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
The Blues’ Pavel Buchnevich speaks with the media on Saturday, March 29, 2025, after a win at Colorado. (Video courtesy St. Louis Blues)
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.
