ST. LOUIS, MO – After the Atlantic team defeated the Metropolitan team, 9-5, the Central and Pacific divisions tangled for the right to advance to the third game of the night.
St. Louis Coach Craig Berube started all Blues from the goal out with Jordan Binnington in net, Alex Pietrangelo on the back end along with David Perron and Ryan O’Reilly on the attack. The problem, though; there was not much of an attack.
It took just more than two minutes for the Pacific to draw first blood. Calgary’s Matt Tkachuk took a feed from Quinn Hughes on the left side at 2:12 and snapped it home again Binnington. The Pacific kept the pressure on.
After a turnover in the Central zone, Tkachuk and Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl combined on a give-and-go, beating Binnington just 47 seconds later to make it 2-0.
Momentum continued when at 4:42, San Jose’s Tomas Hertl went in alone on Binnington, freezing the netminder before sending a drive over the glove side corner. The Pacific were now up 3-0. Los Angeles’ Anze Kopitar was credited with the assist on the stretch pass.
The third goal must have woken the Central up as it took just 27 seconds to light their side of the scoreboard.
At 5:09, Dallas’ Tyler Seguin sent a lead pass to Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele who put a drive over the stick side shoulder of Vancouver’s Jacob Markstrom’s.
A little less than two minutes later, the lead was narrowed. St. Louis’ David Perron, after giving up the puck in the neutral zone, regained control and slipped one under Markstrom’s stick to make it 3-2.
Just 14 seconds later, Chicago’s Patrick Kane knotted things up when she sped down the left side and sent the puck along the ice, eluding Markstrom’s stick again. It was now 3-3. Fans began to cheer and then upon realizing it was a goal off Kane’s stick, began to boo, leading to a humorous sequence in which the Blackhawks’ star played into the veiled criticism.
With just under two minutes left in the period, Vegas’ Max Pacioretty went in all alone from center ice on Binnington, but was stoned on the effort, keeping the score tied.
But that wouldn’t last long as Brady Tkachuk made a great stop when the Central tried to exit their own zone. Tkachuk held the puck in at the line and then spun around to the open side, advancing the puck to Hughes who slipped it under Binnington’s stick to regain the lead.
Before the period was done, though, the Central drew event. Seguin accepted a slick pass from Nashville’s Roman Josi and sent the puck past Markstrom to knot things up at 4.
As time wound down, Mark Giordano nearly gave the Pacific the lead, but Binnington stopped him from in close and the period ended.
Period shots were 12-7 in favor of the Pacific squad
The second period started with a change in goaltenders; Calgary’s David Rittich for the Pacific and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck for the Central.
In an effort to take a lead and reverse momentum, St. Louis’ Ryan O’Reilly broke in nearly off the draw, but Rittich made the stop.
The Pacific re-established themselves just 46 seconds into the frame when Draisaitl slammed a slap shot past Hellebuyck after a nifty feed from McDavid to put his team up 5-4. earned the assist.
The Central answered at 1:37 when Kane snapped a shot past Rittich to knot things up at 5. That would be all he would allow the remainder of the game.
Tkachuk gave the Pacific the lead for good after a series of tape to tape passes ended up on his stick. He found himself in close where he roofed the puck up and over and embarrassed Hellebuyck who was down on the play at 2:42.
That line wasn’t done, but this time it was Draisaitl off a pass from teammate McDavid who sent a low drive stick side to widen the lead to 7-5 at 3:34 and earn a hat trick.
Hellebuyck was under fire most of the period.
Tomas Hertl got into the second period attack at 4:45 and with some volume when he accepted a pass in the slot before walking in on Hellebuyck and applying a deke, dropping Hellebuyck to the ice and sending it into the open net. It was 8-5 now.
Just 2:21 later, Hertl netted another, his third of the game, after taking a pass from Draisaitl with McDavid involved to make it 9-5.
Hertl potted his fourth goal of the game with just over a minute to play, put the Pacific into double digits at 10-5 when he slid one under the stick of Hellebuyck.
It was not Hellebuyck’s best effort.
Shots in the period favored the Pacific 16-10 for a two period and game total of 28-17.
The Pacific had four, 4-point players with Hertl leading the way with 4 goals. Draisaitl had 3 goals and Tkachuk had 2 goals.
The Pacific would face the Atlantic in the night’s third game.
Dennis Morrell has enjoyed many years of experience in the great game as a hockey writer, photographer, goalie coach, player and currently active USA Hockey-certified referee with over 1,000 games in his striped jersey. His passion for the game began in the early 70s with his first glance at skaters in Clayton’s Shaw Park. He can be reached at dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com and you can follow him on Twitter at DMMORRELL
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