Blues Win the Quality Battle Over Blue Jackets
McTavish, Buchnevich and Holloway power St. Louis at five-on-five while Coyle and Monahan ring iron for Columbus
The pipes were Columbus’s best moments, but St. Louis carried the night and earned a 5-3 win. The Blues had the better chances across the game — their looks were worth 3.22 expected goals to 1.62 for Columbus, and they won the shot‑attempt fight at five‑on‑five.
That edge wasn’t a one‑off burst. Mason McTavish, Pavel Buchnevich and Dylan Holloway kept creating repeat danger in tight, and Holloway’s three helpers showed up on the scoreboard as the engine of that push. Depth helped too: Jimmy Snuggerud and Jonatan Berggren cashed their chances, reflecting how St. Louis stacked threats rather than relying on a single rush or bounce.
Columbus’s counterpunch came more from near‑misses than volume. Charlie Coyle and Sean Monahan each hit a post, with those two shots alone carrying 1.06 iron xG. Valeri Nichushkin provided much of the Jackets’ shooting thrust, and Cole Sillinger scored on his lone look, but overall they were chasing the quality game.
In net, Jordan Binnington stopped 20 of 23 to back the territorial edge, while Jet Greaves made 22 saves on 26 shots under heavier danger. For now, the takeaway is simple: the Blues can sustain five‑on‑five pressure; the Jackets needed bounces and got metal instead.
