Jonathan Marchessault scored the game-winner with 17 seconds remaining in overtime, securing a 4-3 victory for the Vegas Golden Knights over the St. Louis Blues on Friday night.
Marchessault’s goal came off a give-and-go with Alex Tuch, as he slipped behind two Blues defenders and beat goaltender Jordan Binnington high on the glove side, sending the season-high crowd of 7,567 into a frenzy.
“It was an amazing feeling,” Marchessault said. “Tuch made a great play, and Robin (Lehner) came up big for us with some key saves in overtime. It was the loudest we’ve heard all year, and it felt great.”
Lehner made 22 saves, improving his record to 16-3-2 this season. Reilly Smith, Alec Martinez, and Nic Roy scored in regulation for Vegas, which rallied from a two-goal deficit for the sixth time this season. The Golden Knights also came from behind after two periods for the sixth time this year, moving closer to clinching their third division title in just four seasons since joining the NHL.
“Tonight, we were a little flat to start, but we got better as the game went on,” said Vegas coach Peter DeBoer. “That’s what you need to win consistently. Your top guys won’t score every night, but when they do, it’s huge.”
Despite the loss, the Blues secured the final playoff spot in the West Division thanks to a point gained and Los Angeles’ loss to Colorado. St. Louis has reached the playoffs for the 44th time in franchise history, the most among non-Original Six teams.
Ryan O’Reilly, David Perron, and Jaden Schwartz scored for St. Louis, while Binnington made 31 saves. The Blues have earned at least one point in eight consecutive games (5-0-3) and will take a four-game road point streak (2-0-2) into Saturday’s rematch against Vegas.
St. Louis remains undefeated in regulation when leading after two periods this season, with a 14-0-4 record.
“I thought the guys competed hard for 60 minutes,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “Binnington was great in goal, and we got a point, which is what we needed.”
Smith opened the scoring in the first period with a tap-in off a pass from Nic Hague, but O’Reilly tied the game with a short-handed goal late in the period, his 12th point in the last eight games.
St. Louis scored twice in just under two minutes in the second period. Perron converted a cross-ice pass from Zach Sanford for his 15th goal of the season, and Jaden Schwartz added another from a sharp angle to give the Blues a 3-1 lead.
Martinez sparked a comeback with a one-timer from the point, cutting the deficit to 3-2 with just 8.2 seconds left in the second period. Roy tied the game midway through the third, netting his 10th point in his last 15 games by roofing a wrist shot past Binnington.
St. Louis had a golden opportunity to regain the lead when Lehner stumbled, but Martinez slid into position to block Kyle Clifford’s wraparound attempt.
“We need to play playoff hockey before the playoffs even start,” said Martinez. “It’s all about imposing your will and playing the right way.”
MISSING MAX
Vegas played without its leading goal-scorer, Max Pacioretty, for the third straight game. Pacioretty, who has 24 goals this season, remains out with an undisclosed injury.
ELITE COMPANY
St. Louis has reached the playoffs in nine of the last 10 seasons, joining the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals in that exclusive club. Those three teams have won four of the last nine Stanley Cups.
UP NEXT
- The two teams will meet again for the final game of their series on Saturday night.