Blues Rally for 4-2 Victory Over Flames in Calgary

CALGARY, Alberta — Jake Neighbours scored two goals, leading the St. Louis Blues to a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday. This win marked a strong comeback for the Blues after a 5-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild in their season opener.

Joel Hofer, the Blues’ goaltender, made 27 saves and reflected on the team’s effort. “The boys battled hard,” Hofer said. “It was a greasy road win. After our last game, we didn’t like how we played, so it was a huge bounce-back for us. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going.”

Matt Coronato netted both goals for the Flames, who fell to 1-2-0 on the season. Flames goalie Dustin Wolf stopped 24 shots. Calgary coach Ryan Huska acknowledged his team’s struggle to convert scoring opportunities. “I liked our first couple periods,” Huska said. “We didn’t finish our chances when we needed to earlier in the game.”

The action began at 14:49 of the first period when Coronato scored a power-play goal, giving Calgary a 1-0 lead. The goal came when his shot deflected off a Blues defenseman and past Hofer. Huska praised Coronato, saying, “Matt’s our shooter. I thought he was good. He was around the puck a lot tonight.”

Neighbours evened the score at 1-1 at 12:41 of the second period, taking a pass from Robert Thomas and backhanding the puck under Wolf’s legs. Neighbours, who hails from nearby Airdrie, Alberta, expressed his joy about scoring in front of friends and family. “It’s pretty special,” he said. “Just special having my family and friends here and being able to perform for them is really nice.”

Thomas then put the Blues ahead 2-1 with a power-play goal at 14:25. Just 32 seconds later, Coronato tied the game again for the Flames. The back-and-forth continued as Neighbours tipped in a goal at 11:07 of the third period, regaining the lead for St. Louis at 3-2.

Pius Suter sealed the win, scoring at 13:33, finalizing the score at 4-2. The Blues now boast a six-game winning streak in Calgary and have won seven consecutive games against the Flames.

Defender Colton Parayko‘s assist was notable, marking his 296th point with St. Louis, tying him with Rob Ramage for fourth most by a defenseman in Blues history.