Latest news with #ZackBolduc
Washington Post
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Binnington's 28 saves help Blues beat Avalanche 2-1, extend win streak to 9 games
DENVER — Zack Bolduc and Pavel Buchnevich each scored a goal for St. Louis and the Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Saturday to extend their win streak to nine consecutive games. Bolduc opened the scoring with 9:03 left in the first period and Nathan MacKinnon scored on one-timer for the Avalanche to make it 1-1 about a minute later. The 29-year-old MacKinnon has 52 points (18 goals, 34 assists) in 49 regular-season games against the Blues, in addition to 17 points (9, 8) in 11 playoff games. The Avalanche, who had a four-game win streak snapped, went into the game allowing an NHL-best 2.00 goals per game since Feb. 1. The Blues took a 2-1 lead in the four-game regular-season series between the teams. The Avs won 5-0 at home on Jan. 31 while the Blues won 3-1 on Feb. 23 in St. Louis. Blues: St. Louis extended the longest active win streak in the NHL and has outscored its opponents 39-13 during that span. Avalanche: Colorado had its 11-game home win streak snapped and lost at Ball Arena for the first time since a 3-2 overtime defeat at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 22. Buchnevich, in front of the net, put away the rebound of a shot by Ryan Suter with 11:06 to play when his putback trickled inside the post and past goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to give the Blues a 2-1 lead. Jordan Binnington finished with 28 saves for St. Louis, including a sprawling glove-side stop in the closing seconds of an Avalanche power play with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the second period. The Blues play the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday in the first of four consecutive home games. The Avalanche wrap up a four-game home stand Monday against the Calgary Flames. ___ AP NHL:
Associated Press
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Binnington's 28 saves help Blues beat Avalanche 2-1, extend win streak to 9 games
DENVER (AP) — Zack Bolduc and Pavel Buchnevich each scored a goal for St. Louis and the Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Saturday to extend their win streak to nine consecutive games. Bolduc opened the scoring with 9:03 left in the first period and Nathan MacKinnon scored on one-timer for the Avalanche to make it 1-1 about a minute later. The 29-year-old MacKinnon has 52 points (18 goals, 34 assists) in 49 regular-season games against the Blues, in addition to 17 points (9, 8) in 11 playoff games. The Avalanche, who had a four-game win streak snapped, went into the game allowing an NHL-best 2.00 goals per game since Feb. 1. The Blues took a 2-1 lead in the four-game regular-season series between the teams. The Avs won 5-0 at home on Jan. 31 while the Blues won 3-1 on Feb. 23 in St. Louis. Takeaways Blues: St. Louis extended the longest active win streak in the NHL and has outscored its opponents 39-13 during that span. Avalanche: Colorado had its 11-game home win streak snapped and lost at Ball Arena for the first time since a 3-2 overtime defeat at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 22. Key moment Buchnevich, in front of the net, put away the rebound of a shot by Ryan Suter with 11:06 to play when his putback trickled inside the post and past goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to give the Blues a 2-1 lead. Key stat Jordan Binnington finished with 28 saves for St. Louis, including a sprawling glove-side stop in the closing seconds of an Avalanche power play with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the second period. Up next The Blues play the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday in the first of four consecutive home games. The Avalanche wrap up a four-game home stand Monday against the Calgary Flames. ___
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Takeaways From Blues' 5-3 Loss Against Penguins
To call Thursday a huge missed opportunity for the St. Louis Blues would be understating it. Yes, the Blues have been on a roll and playing well, but they had the stage all to themselves with all their competitors in the Western Conference wild card idle and a chance to pull into a tie for the final spot with the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. The Blues came into the game with the Pittsburgh Penguins playing 12 of their final 17 games against teams outside the playoff picture, but this has been their trouble spot in not beating these opponents, and it reared its ugly head again with a 5-3 loss to the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. The Blues (31-28-7), who came into the game on a 7-1-2 run (6-1-2 since the 4 Nations Face-Off), also had the chance to move two points ahead of Utah Hockey Club in the standings but give up a game in the standings and remain two points back, now with the Flames having two games in hand and the Canucks and Utah with one. Zack Bolduc continues his strong play with a power-play goal, Dylan Holloway also scored in the power play and Alexey Toropchenko scored his second goal in three games, but the Blues could not solve a goalie [Tristan Jarry] who was placed on waivers by the Penguins (27-31-10) earlier in the season but improved to 7-1-0 lifetime against St. Louis, and Jordan Binnington (more on him below) was pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots. Let's look at Thursday's Three Takeaways: * Binnington pulled, outplayed by Jarry -- Binnington had been strong his past eight starts, going 7-0-1 in them, including six straight wins with a 2.27 goals-against average, but he was not nearly good enough on Thursday. With the Blues actually playing a pretty solid overall team game, average goaltending would have been good enough on this night. On Graves' goal that made it 1-0 2:17 into the game, you can see he lost track of the puck trying to look around to the left point, and teammate Tyler Tucker was there and instead of getting out of the way, could have perhaps blocked a shot, so an argument could be made that someone in front of him could have done a better job. But you'd maybe like to see the back of the skates at the edge of the crease to take away more angle and identify where the puck is. It was Pittsburgh's first shot of the game and only shot they would get for over 10 minutes. When Timmins scored to make it 2-0 at 2:20 of the second period, you'd like to see Nick Leddy attack the puck carrier and not allow him time and space to move into the right circle, but Binnington was off his angle and didn't look like he was square to the shooter really hugging the post and exposing the far side from a sharper angle. The third goal by Dewar, a tap-in late in the second at 17:42 was just a missed assignment after Bolduc's power-play goal at 11:35 got the Blues back in it, but the goal that saw Binnington pulled, he was beat on the short side on what was changed to a Rust tip from a Rickard Rakell shot from the high slot at 7:15 that made it 4-2, but you'd like a save there, or at least cover up the near side to not give a lane for a tip to get through after Holloway's one-timer from the right circle at 1:26 of the third that made it 3-2 with the Blues' second power-play goal in as many opportunities. Jarry, meanwhile, made 33 saves and provided the saves needed for a team that was outplayed for most of the game. * Penguins, minus-40 at 5-on-5, score four -- The Penguins came in allowing the most 5-on-5 goals in the league this season at 163 and were 21st in the league in 5-on-5 goals for at 123, or a minus-40 on the season, which was worst in the NHL. Yet the Blues were outscored 4-1 in that category on Thursday, and three of those goals came to players that were not named Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. They were done in by first-time goal scorers Ryan Graves and Connor Dewar and Conor Timmins getting his third of the season. Toropchenko's beauty, a coast-to-coast effort that saw him slice through the Penguins like hot butter, cut the deficit to 4-3 at 8:56 of the third period to account for the lobe 5-on-5 goal. * Not leading the game after one period -- The stats said it all. The Blues as a team actually didn't play a poor game; they came out like gangbusters and outshot the Penguins 16-5 in the first period, held a 9-2 advantage in scoring chances and had 6:05 of offensive zone time to Pittsburgh's 3:28 and forced six defensive zone turnovers, yet trailed the game 1-0. The inability to complete the final phase of scoring on Thursday was something that was in great need, and by chasing the game the entire night, despite having a territorial edge for most of the night, was a bas recipe. Hear what coach Jim Montgomery, Bolduc and defenseman Philip Broberg had to say postgame.
New York Times
14-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Zack Bolduc suits the Blues well: ‘Really developing into an all-around NHL player'
ST. LOUIS — Zack Bolduc walks into the rink on game night wearing a dark suit, no socks and stylish dress shoes. The 22-year-old, a 2021 first-round pick from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, looks the part of an NHL player off the ice. There was anticipation after back-to-back 50-goal seasons in junior hockey, and 25 games with the St. Louis Blues last season, that he'd begin to look the part on the ice in 2024-25. There have been some hiccups, however, and he was a healthy scratch in 10 of the Blues' first 49 games. Advertisement In what the club is calling a competitive retool, fans feel young players should be allowed to play through their mistakes and they want Bolduc in uniform — not his suit. 'There's different ways to become a consistent NHL player,' Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. 'Sometimes sitting up in the press box and watching is part of that path, and for him it was part of that path. It's always a good thing to recognize that there are going to be hard times and you have to overcome them and stay with it. We want them to have success right away, too, but that's not life. It's just part of the process.' From being a healthy scratch to being heavy on the forecheck, Bolduc's process is taking shape. He scored his 12th goal of the season and was promoted to the Blues' top line in their 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. But what's more important than Bolduc's offense, which includes 25 points in 56 games, is why he's scoring and why Montgomery gave him a prime assignment: the smart plays, the physicality and the defensive responsibility that has made him a legitimate factor in the team turning its season around. 'He works at his game, and you see it behind the scenes working with the coaches,' Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. 'His 200-foot game is getting way better and he's made huge strides. He's a guy that comes in with a great attitude every single day, competes hard, and he's a really good teammate. It's good to see him get rewarded for it.' 🚨 BOLDUC GETS US ON THE BOARD 🚨 #stlblues — St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 14, 2025 Since the Blues' 6-5 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 8, Bolduc has been on the ice for nine five-on-five goals for and just four against, per Natural Stat Trick. In those 11 games, his plus-five rating has improved him to a team-best plus-13 this season. 'I'm playing well, but all the team is playing well,' Bolduc said. 'Since we've gotten back from the (4 Nations Face-Off) break, I feel my mindset is different — just be ready to compete. Even if it's a morning skate, you've got to be ready to work hard. Advertisement 'It's an everyday battle. You've got to think about your details and practice with good tempo so that it becomes natural in games. That's what I've been doing, and I've just got to keep doing it.' There have been plenty of examples of Bolduc's progress on the Blues' current road trip. In their 3-2 shootout win over Los Angeles last week, it's a simple one. LA is exiting the defensive zone when Oskar Sundqvist creates a turnover. Bolduc pounces on the puck and skates up ice, but when he runs out of room in the offensive zone, he doesn't try to force it. Instead, he backhands a pass toward Mathieu Joseph in the middle of the ice. The puck sails into the corner, but Cam Fowler pinches in and sends it back behind the net and the offense maintains possession. The line of Bolduc, Sundqvist and Joseph has been strong since first playing together against the Florida Panthers on Feb. 6. They've played 103 minutes since then and had more shots (50-36) and scoring chances (49-33) than the opposing line, though the goals are even, 4-4. 'One thing that makes it easy is playing with the same guys game after game,' Bolduc said. 'You can build some chemistry, and I think our games are mixing well together.' The success is due, in part, to plays like the one Bolduc made in LA. 'We know he's got the shot, the skill, the speed, all that stuff,' Sundqvist said. 'But if you watch him from the first game of the year, he's grown a lot more in situations with the puck and his decision-making. On some plays, 'Well, this is the situation, I have to chip it in, I can't try to dangle this guy.' He's made really big steps in that aspect.' Sundqvist has been preaching that to Bolduc, which is part of the reason Montgomery has the veteran on a line with the rookie. Advertisement 'The one thing that goes unnoticed is how important Sundqvist is to the development of the players that play on his line,' Montgomery said. 'He understands the game at such a high level and he talks to those guys every shift. Players, especially your leaders, have to reinforce the message verbally and help guide those guys.' Two nights later in a 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks, Bolduc netted his 11th goal of the season for a 3-1 lead in the third period. But the sequence starts with Bolduc playing some tight defense on Leo Carlsson, taking away the middle of the ice. The Blues recover the puck, and as they do, Bolduc takes a pass from Cam Fowler, splits the Ducks' defense and scores. It was a great finish by Bolduc, but again, it's what he was doing earlier in the shift. 'He's stopping on pucks,' Montgomery said. 'Defensively, not falling below the puck. The other two things, what he looks like when (he's using) his speed and his physicality in one-on-one battles.' That's led to more trust from the coaches. 'I think they had confidence in me, but it's on me to be ready to play mentally and physically,' Bolduc said. 'That's what I've heard a lot of the coaches saying that when I'm doing video with them — just stick with it.' Montgomery was asked if there was a player Bolduc reminded him of, in terms of development and potential. 'I would say the best comparison that we can see from growth would be right in front of him, (Dylan) Holloway,' he said. 'Not that he's the same player, but if you want to chart a course and a pathway for his growth, that's what we hope to see.' Holloway, 23, is in his third full season in the NHL, and after scoring again Thursday, he has 21 goals in 66 games. He likes what he's seeing in his young teammate. Advertisement 'Boldy is starting to figure out the league,' Holloway said. 'It's definitely a transition, but it seems like he's transitioning very well. You've just got to find a way to be effective every night. You've got to prove to the team that you can do other things that can keep you in the lineup. Then once you do that and start building a leash with the coach, you get more opportunity and that's when your offensive abilities kick in.' In the final game of the Blues' three-game West Coast swing, a 2-1 overtime loss to LA, Bolduc showed off more of what's made him successful lately. He got in on the forecheck, and after getting knocked down by the Kings' Brandt Clarke, he jumped back on his feet, stole the puck and made a pass to Jake Neighbours. Seconds later, Nick Leddy tied the score at one on a point shot with Bolduc screening the goalie. After the game, Montgomery called Bolduc's sequence with the forecheck and the screen 'winning hockey.' 'That second and third effort of staying on pucks on the forecheck is where you really see players become impactful,' Montgomery said. Bolduc is feeling as proud of those plays as he is the goals. 'Yeah, it feels good to see the little result from the forechecking in LA,' he said. 'No one is going to get the puck for you. You've got to go get it yourself. It's part of my game now to be heavy on the forecheck, create some turnovers and have a good stick. Those are the details that you put your focus on, and they're paying off. 'Now you see the results coming. I'm feeling good about my game, but I still have more, and I still can get better at some stuff on my overall game.' He looks the part on the ice, and after being in the Blues' lineup for the 17th straight game Thursday, the healthy scratches are perhaps a thing of the past. Advertisement 'Yeah, he's really developing into an all-around NHL player,' Montgomery said. 'He's been really good for us. He's doing a lot of good little things that are adding up to big things for the team. Every game since we've been back from the break, I've been confident in Bolduc because he's just doing the right things to help us win.' (Photo of Zack Bolduc: Courtesy of St. Louis Blues)
USA Today
27-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
St. Louis Blues at Washington Capitals odds, picks and predictions
The St. Louis Blues (27-26-6) take on the Washington Capitals (38-12-8) Thursday. Puck drop from Capital One Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NHL odds around the Blues vs. Capitals odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions. Season series: Caps lead 1-0 after 8-1 laugher in St. Louis Nov. 9 The Blues have won 2 straight and have points in 3 straight after the Four Nations break. They squashed the Seattle Kraken 7-2 Tuesday. Six different players scored goals, including RW Jordan Kyrou with his 24th. Rookie RW Zack Bolduc had 2 goals the day after his 22nd birthday with his father in the crowd. The Blues are 0-7-1 this season when trying to win their third game in a row. The Caps are coming off a 3-1 clunker Tuesday. LW Alex Ovechkin scored on the power play to give him 30 goals on the season and bring him to within 12 of Wayne Gretzky's all-time record. Ovi has 4 goals in the last 2 games and 7 goals in 7 February games. Meanwhile, the Caps are 4-1-1 in the last 6 games. Stream the NHL all season on ESPN+, with your team's out-of-market games, exclusive games, originals and more. Get ESPN+ now! Blues at Capitals odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:57 p.m. ET. Moneyline (ML) : Blues +135 (bet $100 to win $135) | Capitals -160 (bet $160 to win $100) : Blues +135 (bet $100 to win $135) | Capitals -160 (bet $160 to win $100) Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS) : Blues +1.5 (-180) | Capitals -1.5 (+145) : Blues +1.5 (-180) | Capitals -1.5 (+145) Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -120 | U: +100) Blues at Capitals projected goalies Joel Hofer (10-7-2, 2.88 GAA, .903 SV%, 1 SO) vs. Charlie Lindgren (13-9-3, 2.64 GAA, .901 SV%, 1 SO) Hofer lost 4-3 in a shootout against the Winnipeg Jets Saturday, but he looked good. He stopped 25 of 28 in what was his fourth straight loss. He hasn't faced the Capitals in a couple of years, but he beat them 5-2 in March 2023 and stopped 32 of 34 fired his way. 'Chuckie Sideburns' was between the pipes Sunday in the 7-3 win over Edmonton. He stopped 22 of 25 and has won both of his February starts, stopping 41 of 47 in the process. He faced his former team in a home-and-home January of last year and went 1-1-0 with 44 saves on 49 shots. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! Blues at Capitals picks and predictions Prediction Capitals 4, Blues 3 You might be wondering why the Blues are only +135 dogs when they're a .500 team, on the road and against a team that floored them 8-1 earlier this year. They've been playing like they're on life support. The NHL trade deadline is 10 days away, and they're giving everything they have to avoid becoming sellers. It's pretty incredible that they have attempted to win 3 straight games 8 times this season and lost every time. They're the only team in the league that has not won 3 straight. Well, they'll remain such Thursday, but I could see them taking it to overtime and grabbing a point. Take the CAPITALS -160. The Blues are priced out of range here, but ALEX OVECHKIN OVER 0.5 POWER PLAY POINTS (+185) is a good bet. The Blues are 29th in the league with a 72.3% penalty kill. The Caps are 7-3 O/U in their last 10, and the Blues are 4-6. This number has cashed in 6 of 7 meetings between the clubs. It's cashing again. Take the OVER 5.5 (-120). For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Ryan Dodson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
