Pair of Blues record hat tricks in drubbing of Avalanche

November 12 – Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich each scored three goals to record hat tricks as the St. Louis Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche 8-2 in Denver on Saturday night.

Schenn, who also had an assist, now has four career hat tricks, while Buchnevich, who had two short-handed goals, has three career hat tricks.

Torey Krug had a goal and an assist, Alexey Toropchenko also scored and Robert Thomas added four assists for the Blues. Justin Faulk and Oskar Sundqvist chipped in with two assists apiece and Jordan Binnington made 36 saves for St. Louis.

Mikko Rantanen and Jack Johnson had goals, Alexandar Georgiev turned away 22 shots before leaving early in the third period and Ivan Prosvetov made 12 saves in relief for the Avalanche.

Colorado forward Artturi Lehkonen will miss several weeks with an upper-body injury suffered during a loss to Seattle on Thursday night, the team announced. Andrew Cogliano was also out on Saturday but is considered day-to-day.

The Blues jumped out to a big lead in the first period. Just 1:08 into the game, Krug’s slap shot from the point was redirected by Schenn and put past Georgiev to make it 1-0.

St. Louis struck twice in the final 67 seconds of the first. Schenn made it 2-0 when he skated down low and roofed a sharp-angle shot under the crossbar. The Blues got another marker when Krug’s wrist shot went just inside the post at 19:58. It was his first goal of the season.

Buchnevich made it 4-0 when he tipped the puck high over Georgiev’s shoulder at 11:52 of the second for a short-handed goal. Colorado finally scored when Rantanen deflected Cale Makar’s shot by Binnington at 16:07. It was his ninth goal of the season.

The Blues sealed it with two power-play goals early in the third. Buchnevich got his second marker of the night at 1:20, and Schenn got his hat trick at 2:49. It was Schenn’s fifth goal of the campaign.

Buchnevich completed his hat trick with another short-handed goal at 15:57 of the third — his fourth goal of the season — and Toropchenko made it 8-1 at 19:11.

Johnson scored his first goal of the season at 19:32.

–Field Level Media

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