Colorado didn't beat St. Louis — they exposed them, converting a shorthanded opportunity into a killshot that made 37 shots and a two-point faceoff edge look like overkill.
Colorado's 37-shot assault against a depleted Blues roster exposed the Central Division gap in full — this was a structural mismatch, not just a final score. A shorthanded goal 100 seconds into the second period buried St. Louis before they could manufacture a response.
⚡TURNING POINT
Nichushkin's shorthanded goal at 1:40 of the second extended the lead to 3–0 while Colorado was already killing a penalty — it punished St. Louis for their one moment of structural advantage and foreclosed any realistic comeback window before the period was four minutes old. Converting a man-down situation into a scoring chance demonstrates exactly the territorial dominance that separated these two teams all night.
🏆WHY COL WON
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Colorado's 37-to-19 shot advantage reflected sustained zone control that St. Louis's defensive structure could not contain across 60 minutes.
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Nichushkin generated 6 shots on goal and 2 goals — his individual shot volume alone matched a quarter of St. Louis's entire team output.
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A 54.5% faceoff rate gave Colorado consistent possession starts, compounding pressure in all three zones throughout.
📉WHY STL LOST
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St. Louis surrendered a shorthanded goal on one of their three power play opportunities, turning their only special-teams edge into a 3–0 deficit.
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19 giveaways against a high-pressure Colorado forecheck was a structural failure that repeatedly reset possession against them.
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Hofer conceded 0.70 goals below league average on 37 shots — despite performing above average, the sheer volume against him made the deficit insurmountable.
Three Stars
Valeri Nichushkin1st
COL, R
2G6 SOG+2 in 15:45 TOI
Both goals — including the shorthanded strike — directly constructed Colorado's winning margin.
Robert Thomas2nd
STL, C
1G24:04 TOI
Carried St. Louis's offensive answer almost entirely on his own across the heaviest workload on the roster.
Martin Necas3rd
COL, C
1G4 SOG+1 in 21:21 TOI
His first-period goal made the lead 2–0 and closed out any early foothold St. Louis might have found.
