Jimmy Snuggerud added to his sizzling stretch with two goals and the St. Louis Blues won their fifth consecutive road game by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 on Thursday night in Raleigh, N.C.
Snuggerud’s go-ahead goal came with 4:48 remaining and Pavel Buchnevich added an empty-net goal in the final minute. Dylan Holloway assisted on both goals. Jordan Binnington made 31 saves, notching victories in consecutive decisions for just the second time this season and the first time since October.
Snuggerud has five goals and four assists across a four-game stretch.
The Hurricanes had their home-ice point streak end at 12 despite Mark Jankowski’s goal. Rookie goalie Brandon Bussi, who stopped 14 shots, has suffered losses in consecutive games for the first time, with his record dipping to 25-5-1.
Carolina’s Sebastian Aho had a short-handed scoring chance in the third period – when the Blues were on their first power play – but Binnington made a stellar save to keep the score tied.
Later when the Blues kept the puck in the zone, Snuggerud was in position to fire the winning shot from close range off a short pass from Holloway, who was coming from behind the net.
Jankowski opened the scoring with an unassisted goal 8:38 in, skating in from the center stripe and finding an edge along the right side to beat Binnington. Jankowski has scored in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
That was the only tally the Hurricanes had to show for a 13-2 edge in first-period shots.
Snuggerud pulled the Blues even 3:53 into the second period.
The Blues had another scoring chance moments later after a Carolina turnover, but Jack Finley skated in on Bussi and shot wide.
St. Louis beat the Hurricanes 3-0 on Jan. 13 at home and held Eastern Conference-leading Carolina to just one goal in 120 minutes for the season.
