STL came into Ball Arena as a .500 team fighting for playoff positioning and left with a regulation win over the Central Division leaders because one line did everything and COL's goaltending gave back a margin it couldn't afford. This was a game decided by a single forward, a single line combination, and 29 seconds in the second period.
⚡TURNING POINT
Thomas's second goal at 4:09 of the second period — 29 seconds after Colorado had taken the lead — erased the only moment COL held an advantage and immediately returned the game to level on STL's terms. In a tight game where neither team scored on the power play, surrendering the lead that quickly prevented Colorado from building any structural momentum off the Burns goal.
🏆WHY STL WON
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R. Thomas generated all three STL goals from 5 shots on goal across 20:13 of ice time, making the Snuggerud–Thomas–Holloway line the entire offensive engine.
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STL's faceoff dominance at 56.3% (27 of 48) gave them consistent zone entry control and denied COL the puck-possession resets a home team with a playoff seed needs.
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J. Hofer conceded 0.80 goals below league average on 28 shots — in a one-goal game, that margin held the win.
📉WHY COL LOST
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M. Blackwood conceded 0.10 goals above league average on 29 shots — thin margin, but in a one-goal loss, any excess cost is the loss.
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COL's top skaters by ice time produced nothing: Drury logged 15:39 at zero points and zero shots, Nelson 21:25 at zero points and zero shots.
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Colorado went 0-for-3 on the power play against a STL penalty kill that gave them no conversion path, wasting their only special-teams edge.
Three Stars
Robert Thomas1st
STL, C
3G5 SOG+320:13 TOI
Thomas scored every STL goal and his 29-second equalizer in the second period was the structural pivot of the entire game.
Jimmy Snuggerud2nd
STL, R
3A8 SOG+317:32 TOI
Snuggerud assisted on all three Thomas goals and led all skaters in shots, making him the primary creation engine behind the line's dominance.
Brent Burns3rd
COL, D
1G1A3 SOG+117:59 TOI
Burns was COL's only consistent offensive threat from the blue line, accounting for both of the team's goals across his two-point night.
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A .500 road team beat the Central Division leaders because one line outscored an entire roster, and Colorado had no answer for it at even strength.
