*Photo from Sportsnaut*
The Vancouver Canucks had their Covid-19 issues flare up again, so the St.Louis Blues were able to execute. Justin Faulk scored, Brayden Schenn scored, and the Blues defeated the Canucks with a 3-1 win on the road on Sunday night.
Vancouver entered the game on Sunday without their top 3 goalies. Thatcher Demko and Jaroslav Halak had already been placed in the NHL's Covid-19 protocols, and 3rd stringer Spencer Martin was placed in the protocols Sunday morning. Michael DiPetro was the starting goalie, and made 14 saves on 17 shots. University of British Columbia goalie Rylan Toth signed an ATO contract to serve as the backup.
Asked about being thrust into a starting role for the first time in nearly 3 years, DiPetro said that "These last couple days obviously have been a whirlwind. I'm just trying to stay in the moment as much as I can. It's been a while between starts, but obviously I was a lot more comfortable this time around."
It was the Canucks who were able to score first, with Tanner Pearson tallying his 7th goal of the season 16:30 into the game, making it 1-0 on assists from Alex Chiasson and Elias Pettersson. Faulk then scored to tie things up 1-1, with his 6th goal of the season coming with 1:27 left in the period, assisted by Brandon Saad and Oskar Sundqvist.
To begin the second period, Schenn scored on the power play 3:26 in, giving the Blues a 2-1 lead on his 9th goal of the season, with assists coming from Vladimir Tarasenko and Torey Krug. The lead then became 3-1 when Jordan Kyrou scored his 16th goal of the season 16:43 into the second, effectively sealing the game.
The win for the Blues marks their 3rd straight win, with a goal and an assist from Faulk leading the way, in addition to a two assist night for Tarasenko. The Blues improve to 25-11-5 with the victory, placing them in second place in the NHL's Central Division.
Making the start between the pipes for the 3rd straight game for the Blues was Ville Husso. He indeed had a very strong night against the Canucks, winning his 3rd straight start while saving 38 of the 39 shots on goal that he faced from Vancouver, good for a .974 save percentage, his record improving to 8-2-1 in 12 starts.
Tarasenko said after the game that "I think Husso was amazing tonight. When somebody plays well, it always gives teammates positive emotions, but especially when a goalie is making these performances like almost every night."
The Blues finish a back to back with a Monday matchup with the Calgary Flames in Calgary, with starting goalie Jordan Binnington to get back in action. The Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, with Demko the likely starting goalie if he can clear protocols. Otherwise, it's looking like another start for DiPetro.
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