Blues 3-2 Avalanche (Apr 5, 2026) Game Recap

DENVER — — Robert Thomas he broke a tie with 2:50 left to finish his first NHL hat trick and the St. Louis Blues stored their late postseason cost rolling with a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday evening to open a home-and-home set.

The groups will meet once more Tuesday evening in St. Louis.

The Blues are 13-3-3 for the reason that NHL returned from the Olympic break in late February. They have 78 factors as they chase the final Western Conference wild-card spot, which is at present occupied by Nashville with 81 factors. Los Angeles (81), San Jose (79) and Winnipeg (78) are within the combine, too.

Thomas pushed his targets whole to 21. He scored the winner off Jimmy Snuggerud‘s third help. Joel Hofer completed with 26 saves, weathering a flurry of exercise within the third interval after dropping a skate blade.

The Avalanche have been coming off a 2-0 win over Dallas on Saturday. They’re on the point of wrapping up the Central Division and prime seed within the Western Conference. In addition, they’re six factors forward of Carolina within the race for the Presidents’ Trophy.

Parker Kelly and Brent Burns scored for Colorado. The 41-year-old Burns additionally had an help in his 1,001st straight recreation. He was honored earlier than the sport for No. 1,000, with teammates, previous and current, providing congratulations in a video tribute.

Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 25 photographs. The Avalanche have been 0 for 3 on the ability play.

Ross Colton practically put the Avalanche up halfway by means of the primary interval when he knocked in a puck out of the air. But the Blues efficiently challenged the play for offside.

Moments later, Thomas scored to make it 1-0. Colorado tied it up on Kelly’s twentieth objective of the season.

Colorado ahead Valeri Nichushkin was a late scratch with an upper-body harm.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl