RALEIGH — Jimmy Snuggerud came into Thursday’s game in Raleigh as one of the hottest players in hockey with goals in three straight games to go with four assists.
He didn’t stop against the Hurricanes.
Snuggerud scored both the tying and go-ahead goals as St. Louis swept the season series against Carolina with a 3-1 win.
The Blues got the game-winner when center Robert Thomas attempted to cycle the puck behind the Hurricanes net. Carolina defenseman Jalen Chatfield was there to intercept it, but the puck hopped over his stick and right to Jack Finley. Finley lost control of the puck, but it went right to Snuggerud alone at the right post, and the St. Louis winger’s shot hit Hurricanes center Jordan Staal’s stick and elevated past Brandon Bussi (14 saves) on the short side to put St. Louis ahead 2-1 with 4:48 remaining.
“It’s just a bad bounce,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We’re all over it, (Chatfield) has it, and the puck just flips over his stick.”
That Carolina was even in a 1-1 game late in regulation was a surprise given the way it dominated the Blues in the first 20 minutes.
Carolina outshot St. Louis 13-2, however, the home team only managed to get one goal.
Carolina center Mark Jankowski made a steal in the neutral zone, carried the puck into the offensive zone and dangled around defenseman Tyler Tucker before scoring his seventh goal past Jordan Binnington (31 saves) at 8:38 of the first period.
“I was initially looking for (William Carrier) back door, but I think their backchecker was on him,” said Jankowski. “So I just took it to the net and just tried to get it in any way how.”
But that was all the offense the Hurricanes could muster against the Blues, who limited Carolina to one goal in the two-game season series. That was especially frustrating for the Hurricanes given how one-sided the opening 20 minutes were.
“It was probably our best period of the year, maybe, in the first period, and we were up by one,” Brind’Amour said.
The Blues responded in the second period and tied the game.
Snuggerud notched his first of two goals by weaving his way into the offensive zone and snapping a shot that beat Bussi to knot the score at 3:53.
“There wasn’t really like a moment in the game (we lost momentum),” Staal said, “but it just looked like we were OK with just staying where we were and kind of let them get back into it.”
Carolina mounted a late push with Bussi on the bench for an extra attacker, but Pavel Buchnevich scored into the empty net to put away the Hurricanes.
It marked the first time in Bussi’s NHL career that he’s lost consecutive starts.
But Thursday was more about the Hurricanes’ inability to capitalize on their early chances than any shortcomings in net.
“We came out of the gates hot. We had a good start,” Jankowski said. “But the last few games, our second period, we kind of had a lull, and we can’t have that. We’ve got to play a full 60.”
Notes: Shayne Gostisbehere did not play due to a lower-body injury. Nicolas Deslauriers and Jesperi Kotkaniemi were healthy scratches for Carolina. … Staal was minus 3 for the first time this season. … Sebastian Aho matched a season high with seven shots on goal but saw his point streak end at four. … Dylan Holloway had two assists for the Blues.
