ST. LOUIS BLUES NOTES:
CURRENT INJURIES
Scott Perunovich – Shoulder (Re-evaluated in 6 months, announced on Oct. 4)
Marco Scandella – Right Hip (Re-evaluated in 6 months, announced on Sep. 20)
2022-23 Total Man Games Lost: 120
Recent Transactions
December
19 – Activated forward Logan Brown from injured reserve
18 – Recalled forward Logan Brown from the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL)
18 – Assigned forward Will Bitten to the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL)
17 – Signed defenseman Marc-Andre Gaudet to a three-year, entry-level contract
15 – Assigned forward Logan Brown to the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) on a conditioning assignment
BLUES VS. GOLDEN KNIGHTS
-The Blues and Golden Knights will meet for the 2nd of 3 matchups this season
-The Blues and Knights will finish their season series on Mar. 12 in St. Louis
-The Blues won the 1st matchup of the season, 3-2, on Nov. 12 in Vegas
-The Blues went 2-1-0 against Vegas last season (1-1-0 at home; 1-0-0 away)
-The Blues are 3-1-0 in their last 4 games against Vegas
-The Blues have won back-to-back games in Vegas and are 2-1-1 in their last 4 trips to Vegas
-The Blues are 10-5-6 (26 points) in 21 games against Vegas since the Golden Knights entered the NHL in the 2017-18 season, which is the 2nd most points of any team in the NHL against Vegas (1. Minnesota, 12-4-3, 27 points)
-The Blues are 9-3-0 against the Pacific Division this season
-The Blues are 4-1-1 in their last 6 games overall since Dec. 11 vs. Colorado, outscoring their opponent 18-14 during that stretch
-The Blues’ 4 wins and 9 points since Dec. 11 both share 7th in the NHL (1. Carolina, 6 wins/12 points)
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
12/27 – vs. Toronto
12/29 – vs. Chicago
12/31 – vs. Minnesota
1/3 – at Toronto
1/5 – at New Jersey
A LOOK AHEAD
-The Blues have 4 games remaining in December (3 at home; 1 away)
-The Blues will finish their season-long 10-day, 5-game road trip Friday at Vegas (3-1-0 so far, outscoring opponents 15-11)
-The Blues will face 3 teams in their last 4 games who currently hold a playoff spot (Vegas/Toronto/Minnesota)
BLUES LOOK TO END ROAD TRIP ON A HIGH NOTE
-The Blues will finish off a season-long 10-day, 5-game road trip on Friday in Vegas
-The Blues are 3-1-0 so far on the road trip, outscoring their opponents 15-11 (not counting shootout-deciding goals) -With a win Friday at Vegas, the Blues can record 4 or more wins on a road trip of exactly 5 games for the 7th time in franchise history
-The last time the Blues won at least 4 games of a 5-game road trip was from Jan. 21-Feb. 7, 2019 (4-1-0)
-If the Blues can score 4 or more goals on Friday at Vegas, it will mark just the 5th time in franchise history the Blues have scored 20 or more goals on a road trip of exactly 5 games (including shootout-deciding goals)
DEFENSEMEN CONTRIBUTING OFFENSE FOR BLUES
-The Blues defensemen have combined for 13 goals this season
-The Blues are 8-2-0 this season when a defenseman scores
-The Blues’ defense has contributed 5 power play goals this season, which shares 2nd in the NHL (1. Ottawa, 6)
-They have also contributed 5 game-winning goals, which shares 3rd in the NHL (1. Carolina/Winnipeg, 6)
-Torey Krug leads Blues d-men with 5 goals, which also shares 15th in the NHL among all defensemen (1. Karlsson, 13)
-Torey Krug’s 4 power play goals rank 3rd on the Blues (1. Kyrou, 6 / 2. Buchnevich, 5) and share 2nd in the NHL among all defensemen (1. Chabot, 5)
-Justin Faulk’s 2 game-winning goals share the 8th most among all defensemen in the NHL (1. Morrissey, 4)
-Colton Parayko has 49 career goals and with his next goal, he will become the 7th defenseman in franchise history to score 50 goals with the Blues
BLUES CONSISTENT UNDER ARMSTRONG
-Since Doug Armstrong took over the reigns as the Blues General Manager in 2010-11, the Blues have posted a 537-309-100 record
-Their 537 wins since then rank 5th in the NHL (1. PIT, 561)
-The Blues have made the postseason 10 out of the 12 seasons since Armstrong became GM, 1 of 5 teams in the NHL to clinch 10 or more playoff berths since 2010-11 (PIT, 12/WSH, 11/BOS & NSH, 10)
-Armstrong is also just 1 of 2 GMs to clinch 10 or more playoff berths since 2010-11 (David Poile, 10)
-Since 2010-11, the Blues rank 7th with 2.92 goals per game (1. VGK, 3.20) and rank 3rd in the NHL with 2.59 goals against per game (1. BOS, 2.45)
-The Blues also have the 3rd best penalty kill (82.7%) under Armstrong (1. BOS, 83.4%), and have the 6th best power play (20.8%) in the league (1. WSH, 21.5%)
BLUES STAY STRONG UNDER BERUBE
-Since taking over on Nov. 18, 2018, Berube has led the Blues to a 172-96-37 record (381 points) -The Blues 381 points since Nov. 21, 2018 (Berube’s first game), rank 9th in the NHL (1. TBL, 417), while their 172 wins rank 10th (1. TBL, 198)
-Their 3.23 goals per game share 7th in the NHL under Berube (1. TBL, 3.54)
-The Blues have posted a mark of 2.87 goals against per game under Berube, which ranks 10th in the NHL (1. BOS, 2.49)
-The Blues also have the 4th best power play in the NHL at 23.8% since Berube became head coach (1. EDM, 27.3%)
-On Dec. 11 vs. Colorado, Berube became the 4th Head Coach in Blues history to reach 300 games behind the bench (1. Quenneville, 593 / 2. Hitchcock, 413 / 3. B. Sutter, 320)
-Last season on Dec. 29 vs. EDM, Berube became the 7th different coach in NHL history to win 200 games and play in at least 1,000 career games
Wins as Coach / Games Played
Craig Berube – 247 / 1,054
Randy Carlyle – 475 / 1,055
Bob Pulford – 363 / 1,079
Craig MacTavish – 301 / 1,093
Red Kelly – 278 / 1,316
Brent Sutter – 215 / 1,111
Larry Robinson – 209 / 1,384
BINNINGTON REACHES CENTURY MARK
-On Dec. 12 vs. Nashville, Binnington stopped all 25 shots he faced for his 100th career win and his 12th career shutout
-Binnington became the 6th goaltender in franchise history to record at least 100 wins with the club (Liut/Allen/Joseph/Fuhr/Elliott)
-Binnington recorded his 100th win in his 184th career game, becoming the 3rd fastest in franchise history to reach 100 wins with the team
-With his shutout in his 100th career win, Binnington also moved into a tie for 6th on the Blues all-time franchise list with 12 shutouts, 1 of just 7 goaltenders to record at least 12 shutouts with the Blues
-Since Nov. 10, Binnington has 9 wins, which shares 4th in the NHL (1. Jarry/Shesterkin, 11)
-In his last 4 starts (since Dec. 11), Binnington is 3-0-1, with a 1.70 GAA, a .940 SV%, and 1 shutout
-Binnington has appeared in 24 games this season, which shares the 4th most games played by a goaltender in the NHL (1. Hart/Shesterkin, 26)
Fastest to 100 career wins with the Blues:
- Brian Elliott – 175 GP
- Jake Allen – 176 GP
- Jordan Binnington – 184 GP
BUCHNEVICH STEPPING UP FOR BLUES
-Pavel Buchnevich ranks 2nd on the Blues with 11 goals (1. Kyrou, 16) and ranks 5th with 24 points (1. Kyrou, 32)
-Buchnevich has 8 points in his last 7 games (5g, 3a)
-Buchnevich also has 22 points in his last 18 games (10g, 12a), recording at least 1 point in 14 of those 18 games
-Buchnevich ranks 2nd on the Blues this season with 5 power play goals (1. Kyrou, 6)
-Buchnevich recorded 4 points (2g, 2a) on Nov. 19 vs. Anaheim, the 2nd 4-point game of his career (also: Mar. 17, 2021 w/ NYR: 2g, 2a vs. PHI)
-Buchnevich set career-highs with 30 goals, 46 assists, and 76 points last season
BUCHNEVICH REACHES CENTURY MARK WITH BLUES
-Pavel Buchnevich recorded his 100th point as a Blue (41g, 59a) on Tuesday at Seattle
-Buchnevich reached 100 points as a Blue in just his 97th game as a Blue, becoming just the 8th player in Blues franchise history to record at least 100 points in their first 100 games or fewer with the team -Buchnevich also became the 6th fastest Blue in franchise history to reach 100 points with the team
-Buchnevich sits just 2 games shy of 400 for his career and 5 points shy of 300 for his career
THE TARASENK-SHOW
-On Monday at Vancouver, Tarasenko recorded 3 assists, marking the 7th time in his career he has recorded 3 assists in a game (2nd time this season; also Oct. 19 at Seattle)
-It was also Tarasenko’s 145th career multi-point game, which ranks 5th on the Blues all-time franchise list (4. Unger, 153)
-Vladimir Tarasenko has 12 points in his last 13 games (5g, 7a)
-Tarasenko shares 3rd on the Blues with 25 points (1. Kyrou, 32)
-Tarasenko also shares 3rd on the Blues with 9 goals (1. Kyrou, 16) and shares 3rd on the Blues with 7 even-strength goals (1. Kyrou, 10)
-He also ranks 4th on the Blues with 17 even-strength points (7g, 10a) (1. Kyrou/Thomas, 20)
-Tarasenko also ranks 5th on the Blues all-time franchise list in goals (261) and points (549)
BRAYDEN IS SCHENN-SATIONAL
-Brayden Schenn shares 3rd on the Blues with 25 points this season (1. Kyrou, 32)
-He also ranks 2nd on the Blues with 18 assists (1. Thomas, 22)
-Schenn has 5 points in his last 5 games (1g, 4a) and has 8 points in his last 9 games (1g, 7a)
-Schenn ranks 3rd on the Blues with 19 even-strength points this season (6g, 13a) (1. Kyrou/Thomas, 20)
-Schenn scored the overtime winner on Dec. 12 vs. Nashville, the 9th overtime goal of his career
-Schenn has 24 power play goals since the start of the 2019-20 season, which ranks 2nd among all Blues in that span (1. Perron, 26)
-Schenn dressed in his 800th career NHL game on Dec. 3 at Pittsburgh
-Schenn recorded his 300th point as a Blue on Friday at Calgary
KYROU IS RED HOT
-Jordan Kyrou has a point in 4 consecutive games played (6g, 4a)
-Kyrou has also posted 3 straight multi-point games (6g, 3a)
-Jordan Kyrou scored twice, including his first career overtime winner, on Nov. 26 at Florida
-Kyrou posted his first career hat trick on Monday at Vancouver (3g, 1a)
-Since Kyrou’s debut in 2018-19, he has the 3rd most multi-goal games among Blues with 12 (Perron, 14 / Tarasenko, 13)
-Kyrou posted 6 goals and 9 points on the Blues three-game Western Canada road trip (Dec. 15-19), which marks the most goals by a Blue during a three-game Western Canada road trip (Previous: Brett Hull – 5g, 4a in 3 GP from Feb. 12-17, 1991 & Brad Boyes – 5g, 1a in 3 GP from Mar. 8-11, 2008)
-Kyrou leads the Blues with 16 goals and also leads the team with 6 power play goals
-Kyrou also leads the Blues with 32 points and 11 power play points
-Since Nov. 14, Kyrou has posted 27 points (12g, 15a) in 18 games, which shares 3rd in the NHL over that span (1. McDavid, 33 points / 2. Thompson, 31 points)
-Kyrou posted a career-long 8-game point streak (5g, 8a), from Nov. 14-26, including a career-long 6 game assist streak from Nov. 16-25 (2g, 8a)
THOMAS CONTINUING STRONG SEASON
-Robert Thomas leads the Blues with 22 assists and ranks 2nd with 30 points this season (1. Kyrou, 32)
-Thomas has 5 points in his last 4 games (2g, 3a) and has 11 points in his last 11 games (4g, 7a)
-In his last 21 games, Thomas has recorded 23 points (6g, 17a), recording at least 1 point in 16 of those 21 games
-He also leads the Blues with 8 power play assists and shares 2nd on the Blues with 10 power play points (1. Kyrou, 11)
-Thomas also shares 1st on the Blues with 20 even-strength points (6g, 14a) (Kyrou)
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS NOTES:
GOLDEN KNIGHTS UPCOMING GAMES
Golden Knights 2022-23 Record: 23-11-1, 47 points (9-9-0 at Home, 14-2-1 on Road)
DATE OPPONENT TELEVISION RADIO SPANISH RADIO
Dec. 23 vs. St. Louis Blues AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
Dec. 27 at Los Angeles Kings AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM None
Dec. 28 at Anaheim Ducks AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM None
Dec. 31 vs. Nashville Predators AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
Jan. 2 at Colorado Avalanche AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM None
GOLDEN KNIGHTS LAST GAME RECAP
December 21 – Vegas Golden Knights 5, Arizona Coyotes 2
The Vegas Golden Knights (23-11-1) picked up a 5-2 win in front of their home crowd against the Arizona Coyotes (10-16-5) on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena. After a scoreless first period, Daniil Miromanov scored his second career NHL goal and first career power play goal making it 1-0 for Vegas. A minute later, Jusso Valimaki tied the game for Arizona and the teams entered the third level at 1-1. Midway through the third, Mark Stone scored on the power play to give Vegas a 2-1 lead. William Carrier found the back of the net a minute later to extend the Golden Knights’ edge to 3-1. The Coyotes responded when Christian Fischer scored to make it 3-2 with less than nine minutes to play. Less than a minute later, Stone potted his second of the night, this time shorthanded, to bring the score to 4-2. With just three minutes remaining, Michael Amadio tallied a goal to make it 5-2 and secure the win for the Golden Knights.
LAST GAME BY THE NUMBERS
- Stone becomes the first VGK player to score a PPG and a SHG in the same game
- Miromanov has five points in his last five games after previously recording one point in his first 16 career games
- Logan Thompson returned to the win column after making 21 saves, good for a .913 save percentage on the evening
- Vegas improves to 23-11-1 on the season and 9-9-0 at home
Reilly Smith is Coming to Town
Reilly Smith has extended his point streak to five games after assisting on Amadio’s goal against the Coyotes on Wednesday night. The forward also owns five goals in his last five games and leads all Vegas players with 17 this season.
Aye-Aye Captain
Mark Stone had his first three point night of the season (2-1—3) on Wednesday, and his first since Dec. 12, 2021. The team’s captain scored two goals, one on the power-play and the second shorthanded. Stone’s shorthanded goal was his first since the 2020-21 season and he became the first Golden Knight to score a power play goal and a shorthanded goal in the same game. With his two goals, Stone is second on the team with goals scored (14) this season, tied with Marchessault. Stone’s two-goal game was his third of the season and 24th of his career.
Easy Steph-y
Chandler Stephenson leads Vegas in points with 32 (8-24—32) after recording a pair of assists in the win on Wednesday over the Coyotes. Stephenson currently owns a six-game point streak with 10 points (2-8—10) during that time. This is the longest point streak for Stephenson in his career. During his streak, the forward recorded four assists in Winnipeg to tie his career high and the road record for VGK (last Stone 2/23/20). Stephenson leads the club in helpers with 24 on the season (T-7th for NHL forwards), and his 61.86 faceoff win percentage ranks second in the NHL among all qualified skaters.
Reaching New Highs
William Carrier broke his career high in goals in a season after he scored in Vegas’ win over Arizona on Wednesday. Carrier’s goal was his 10th of the season, the first time he has reached double-digits in goals, and was also his 4th game-winning goal on the season. Carrier’s four game-winning goals is the most of all Golden Knights this season (Stephenson and Smith T-2nd, 3GWG).
Power Play Magic
The Golden Knights have converted on 12 of their 30 power play opportunities for the month of December, matching the club’s record for the most power play goals in a month. Vegas’ 40% power play percentage this month is second in the NHL, behind the Edmonton Oilers (45%).
Killing It
In Vegas’ last four games, the Golden Knights have outscored their opponents 2-0 while being short handed. The team has also not allowed a power play goal in their last seven penalty kills.
The Shorty King
Reilly Smith netted his fourth shorthanded goal of the season at Chicago last Thursday, which leads the league. Smith’s 12 shorthanded goals since joining Vegas in 2017-18 are the most in franchise history. The Golden Knights are tied with the Wild for the most shorthanded goals by a team with six on the season.
Martinez Block Party
Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez leads the NHL with 126 blocked shots in 35 games and is the only player in the league to reach the century mark this season. Martinez has led the team in blocked shots in 21 of 35 games.
Spreading the Wealth
Eight Golden Knights have recorded 20 or more points this season, which is the most of any team in the league. Chandler Stephenson leads the club with 32 points, followed by, Jack Eichel with 29 points and Mark Stone with 28 points.
Golden Knights Point Leaders
- Chandler Stephenson – 32 (8G, 24A)
- Jack Eichel – 29 (13G, 16A)
- Mark Stone – 28 (14G, 14A)
- Jonathan Marchessault – 27 (14G, 13A)
- Reilly Smith – 26 (17G, 9A)
Hot Streaks
Chandler Stephenson (2-8—10) – 6 games
Reilly Smith (5-3—8) – 5 games
Alex Pietrangelo (0-3—3) – 3 games
Michael Amadio (1-1—2) – 2 games
William Karlsson (0-2—2) – 2 games
Against the Blues
Friday marks the second of three meetings between Vegas and St. Louis for the 2022-23 season. The Golden Knights hold an all-time record of 11-9-1 against the Blues in 21 total meetings. The last time the two teams faced off, Vegas saw their nine-game win streak come to an end in a 3-2 loss to St. Louis at T-Mobile Arena. Reilly Smith and Phil Kessel were the goal scorers for Vegas but it was not enough to give the Golden Knights a win. The Blues used goals from Brandon Saad, Ivan Barbashev, and Ryan O’Reilly to defeat the Golden Knights. Vegas’ captain Mark Stone owns 22 points (8-14—22) in 23 contests with the Blues in his career.
2022-23 Season STL Series: 0-1-0 (Home: 0-1-0, Road: 0-0-0)
Nov. 12 – at Vegas (Vegas 2, St. Louis 3)
Dec. 23 – at Vegas
Mar. 12 – at St. Louis
2021-22 Season STL Series: 1-2-0 (Home: 0-1-0, Road: 1-1-0)
Oct. 20 – at Vegas (Vegas 1, St. Louis 3)
Nov. 22 – at St. Louis (Vegas 2, St. Louis 5)
Apr. 29 – at St. Louis (Vegas 7, St. Louis 4)
