Blues cruise past Avalanche to level series

[May 20, 2022] David Perron scored two goals, Jordan Kyrou and Brandon Saad also scored and the St. Louis Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-1 in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Thursday night in Denver.

Jordan Binnington stopped 30 shots and Pavel Buchnevich had two assists for St. Louis, which evened the best-of-seven series at one win apiece.

Gabriel Landeskog scored and Darcy Kuemper had 28 saves for the Avalanche, who lost for the first time in the playoffs and had their eight-game postseason winning streak against the Blues snapped.

Game 3 is Saturday night in St. Louis.

The Blues controlled play in the first period before finally breaking through early in the second. Ryan O'Reilly carried the puck through the neutral zone and fed Kyrou as he skated into the Colorado zone. Kyrou used Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard as a screen and fluttered a shot over Kuemper's left shoulder to give St. Louis a 1-0 lead at 5:45.

It was Kyrou's fifth goal of the playoffs.

Colorado had a chance to get even on a power play but couldn't score, and then the Blues scored on a five-on-three late in the second period.
 

St. Louis Blues center Ryan O'Reilly (90) stretches before game two of the second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

With Devon Toews off for tripping, Valeri Nichushkin ran into Binnington and was called for goaltender interference. St. Louis had 1:03 of a two-man advantage and cashed in with 13 seconds left on it when Perron scored from the left circle at 19:26.

The Avalanche went on the power play early in the third and made it count. Landeskog chipped a loose puck over Binnington's left shoulder 1:49 into the frame for his fourth goal of the playoffs.

Colorado kept up the pressure, but it was the Blues who got the next goal. Perron stole the puck in his own end, skated into the Avalanche zone and put a shot through Kuemper at 10:31 for his seventh of the postseason.

Kuemper came off for an extra skater, and Saad scored into the empty net at 18:10.

--Field Level Media

[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.