Jonatan Berggren’s third-period go-ahead goal lifts St. Louis Blues to 5-3 win over Columbus Blue Jackets

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

ST. LOUIS — Jonatan Berggren broke a tie at 9:33 of the third period and the St. Louis Blues recovered for a 5-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Enterprise Center on Saturday, snapping the Blues’ three-game skid. Berggren’s goal came during a delayed penalty after he was tripped by Columbus forward Mathieu Olivier, and St. Louis converted shortly after setting up in tight around the net.

Berggren’s strike followed a sequence in front where Colton Parayko threw the puck toward the net from below the goal line. Jet Greaves made a save on Mason McTavish, but Berggren lifted the rebound from in close to put the Blues ahead 4-3. After the goal, Berggren was asked about whether he preferred to take the power-play opportunity or not, and he said, “No, we’ll take a goal instead.”

The Blues leaned on additional offence as they pulled away from Columbus late. Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice, and Dylan Holloway registered three assists as St. Louis improved to 2-2-1 for the game’s context provided in the recap. Jordan Binnington made 20 saves to help seal the win and end the skid.

Columbus was led offensively by Valeri Nichushkin, Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger, who each found the net for the Blue Jackets. Greaves made 22 saves in defeat as Columbus dropped to 2-2-0 in the game context provided. Nichushkin gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead at 16:10 of the first period when Erik Gudbranson centered a puck that deflected off the side of the net into the slot, where Sean Monahan pounced on it; Monahan’s shot caught part of Nichushkin before going into the net.

Despite being outshot in the first period, Columbus made the early advantage count. The Blue Jackets outshot the Blues 10-4 in the first, but St. Louis controlled the later run of the game, finishing with only 13 shots over the final two periods according to the recap. After Kent Johnson doubled the lead at 19:48 with a wrist shot from the left face-off circle into the top right corner, St. Louis needed a response heading into the second.

The Blues made that adjustment in the middle frame, beginning with a sharp rebound goal. Jake Neighbours cut the deficit to 2-1 at 6:10 of the second period when he whacked in the rebound from a Justin Barron slap shot. Moments later, Snuggerud tied the game 2-2 at 9:02 on a backdoor tap-in after Philip Broberg cut through the left circle around Cole Sillinger and found Snuggerud crashing the net behind Zach Werenski.

Snuggerud then gave St. Louis its first lead of the game at 12:32, his second of the contest. He collected a drop pass from Robert Thomas and fired a wrister from the right circle in off the far post to make it 3-2. Sillinger later drew Columbus level again in the third, but St. Louis carried the momentum into the final stretch after Berggren’s go-ahead goal.

Sillinger tied the game 3-3 at 6:51 of the third period by scoring from the slot. The goal came after Binnington gave up a sharp-angle rebound off a Charlie Coyle shot, and Sillinger converted from close range. After that equalizer, Berggren’s delayed-penalty conversion restored the Blues’ lead and proved to be the decisive moment.

Pavel Buchnevich added an insurance goal with an empty net at 19:17 of the third period to secure the 5-3 final. The recap also notes that after Columbus earlier had won six straight games against St. Louis, the Blues were the team to end that streak, overcoming a lack of intensity and execution in the middle of the contest as described by Columbus coach Rick Bowness.

Bowness said that “The thought process got away from us,” adding that the intensity necessary “left us,” and that the team committed “terrible, mental mistakes” and was “out-battled.” The Blues’ response, as detailed in the game flow, included multiple scoring sequences that tightened the game after Columbus’s first-period lead and ultimately produced a three-goal burst over the final two periods.

The game also included several additional context points for both sides. Holloway recorded seven points (one goal, six assists) in six career games against Columbus. Monahan played in his 900th NHL game, and the recap notes the Blue Jackets had defeated the Blues six straight times before Saturday, outscoring them 22-12 across that stretch.