Blues Cool Off Hot Senators with 7-2 Road Win

OTTAWA — The St. Louis Blues snapped the Ottawa Senators' three-game win streak on Tuesday night, rolling to a 7-2 victory in the back half of a back-to-back set for the home side. Pius Suter, Jake Neighbours and Mason McTavish each scored twice, while Adam Jiricek added his first career NHL goal to round out a dominant performance from the visiting club. The Blues improved to 3-2-1 on the season, while the Senators dropped to 5-2-0. Goaltender Joel Hofer turned aside 15 shots for St. Louis, and Samuel Ersson made 19 saves in his second start for Ottawa. St. Louis opened the scoring at 14:28 of the first period with a short-handed goal. Colton Parayko won a battle along the boards and found Suter with open space, and Suter beat Ersson blocker side. The goal set the tone for a game in which the Blues controlled much of the play and capitalized on Ottawa's defensive lapses. The short-handed marker demonstrated the visitors' ability to capitalize on transition opportunities, something that would become a recurring theme throughout the contest. Playing on the road to open a three-game trip, the Blues showed no signs of early-trip rust, establishing their forecheck and limiting Ottawa's ability to sustain pressure in the offensive zone. The Blues took a 2-0 lead midway through the second period when Neighbours stepped in with a shot from the top of the slot and wristed it through traffic to beat Ersson glove side. Claude Giroux cut the lead in half with 2:08 remaining in the second on a feed from Tim Stutzle, but the Blues responded just 33 seconds later. Poor defensive zone coverage allowed McTavish to get a shot past Ersson from the top of the crease. St. Louis stifled the Senators for much of the period and outshot Ottawa 12-4, a telling statistic that underscored the visitors' control of the game's tempo and puck possession. The rapid response after Giroux's tally was particularly deflating for the home side, which had briefly seized momentum before surrendering it almost immediately. The Blues took a 4-1 lead midway through the third period when Suter beat Ersson short side from a sharp angle. Neighbours scored his second of the night off a snap shot, McTavish scored on the power play, and Jiricek scored his first career goal to round out the scoring. The flurry of goals effectively put the game out of reach for Ottawa, which was playing its second game in as many nights. Zetterlund added a late power-play goal to make the final score 7-2, providing a small measure of consolation for the home side. The multi-goal third period reflected the growing gap between a rested Blues squad and a Senators team that appeared to feel the effects of its back-to-back schedule. With his second-period goal, Claude Giroux recorded his 1,170th career point, tying Bobby Hull for 59th on the NHL's all-time scoring list. The milestone provided a bright spot for the Senators on an otherwise disappointing night. Giroux's achievement underscores his longevity and consistency at the highest level of the sport, even as his team struggled to contain a relentless Blues attack. The assist from Tim Stutzle on the goal also highlighted the chemistry between Ottawa's veteran presence and its younger core, offering a glimpse of the team's potential when fully engaged. The game featured a notable roster change for the Senators, as Jorian Donovan slotted in for Nikolas Matinpalo, who was injured Monday against the New Jersey Devils. The Blues also saw a debut, with Dylan Peterson making his first NHL appearance on Tuesday. The Senators were coming off a 4-1 win against the Devils on Monday, making the lopsided loss all the more surprising given the momentum they had built during their three-game win streak. Ottawa's defensive depth was tested throughout the evening, and the absence of Matinpalo compounded the challenges of facing a Blues offense that found scoring chances from multiple areas of the ice. The Blues continue their three-game road trip with a visit to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. The Senators look to regroup as they host the New York Islanders on Thursday, aiming to bounce back from a performance that saw them outshot and outworked for large stretches of the contest. Both teams will have a day to prepare, with St. Louis carrying the confidence of a decisive road victory and Ottawa seeking to rediscover the form that produced three consecutive wins before Tuesday's setback.