ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jordan Binnington stopped 18 shots for his 14th career shutout, and the St. Louis Blues beat the Washington Capitals 3-0 on Saturday night.
Binnington bounced back after giving up four goals on 25 shots during a 5-2 loss to the Capitals at Washington on Thursday night to get his second shutout this season as the teams wrapped up their home-and-home set.
“That was just a tremendous effort top to bottom,” Binnington said. “We really bought in and we played the right way. We were successful. We understand here that what we’re here for is to win and win hockey games, get points and make playoffs. Tonight is a great example of how we need to play. Just a smooth night.”
Brayden Schenn, Colton Parayko and Jake Neighboures all scored for the Blues, who had lost three straight (0-2-1) for their longest skid since interim coach Drew Bannister replaced Craig Berube.
“Tonight, it was a complete game. Guys played hard,” Bannister said. “They played the right way. Now the challenge is to continue to build on that and have consistency with that type of game.”
Washington’s Charlie Lindgren, who made his fourth start in five games and got the win on Thursday, had 26 saves. The Capitals had won three of four.
“I’d say it almost felt like they flipped the script on us tonight,” Lindgren said. “It wasn’t our best start tonight. We all know that we can be better.”
Neighbours scored a power-play goal with 4:09 left in the third period. The Blues, 30th in the NHL on the man advantage, were 0 for 5 in Thursday’s loss and failed in their first opportunity in this game.
Parayko scored a short-handed goal, the first in his career, at 2:37 of the first period for a 1-0 St. Louis lead. It was the Blues’ 10th short-handed goal this season, tying them for second in the league. Parayko stole a pass that was going to Alex Ovechkin, went on a 2-on-1 rush and snapped in a wrist shot from the top of the circle that sailed over Lindgren’s glove.
“(I was) just trying to get a stick on it and then saw a little room so I decided to take it,” Parayko said. “I just slowly cut it in and thought I could shoot it.”
Schenn scored on a delayed penalty at 7:44 of the second period on a one-timer from the right circle off a pass from Justin Faulk.
“From puck drop right to the finish, guys were winning their battles,” Schenn said. “That’s how we have to play. It’s not always going to be pretty, but in reality, that’s how we’ve got to win games.”
Washington coach Spencer Carbery was not pleased with how his club played.
“We just really struggled to just simply handle pucks tonight,” Carbery said. “We didn’t make anything happen offensively. It wasn’t close. Our 5 on 5 has been a problem all year. It continues to be a problem. We have to find ways just to simply generate a shot.”
Before the game, the Blues celebrated their 2024 Hall of Fame class of Keith Tkachuk, Mike Liut, and Pavol Demitra. Former Blues player T.J. Oshie, a teammate of Tkachuk, took the ceremonial faceoff and got a loud cheer from the crowd.
“We just weren’t crisp at all, really for any of the 60 minutes,” Oshie said. “We were just super sloppy tonight. We knew they were going to come out hard and we didn’t respond.”
UP NEXT
Capitals: At Minnesota on Tuesday night.
Blues: At Calgary on Tuesday night.
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