Binnington backstops Blues in win over Maple Leafs

TORONTO – Jordan Binnington made 40 saves as the St. Louis Blues downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 on Thursday night.

Dylan Holloway, with two, Philip Broberg, Alexandre Texier and Jake Neighbours scored for St. Louis (5-3-0). Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich added two assists each.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson replied for Toronto (4-4-0), which got 22 stops from Joseph Woll in his first start of the season after coming off injured reserve (groin) earlier in the day.

The Blues opened the scoring on their third shot when Broberg fired a puck through traffic before Holloway doubled the visitors’ lead on a power play.

Related Videos

5:35 Hockey Preview: What to expect ahead of the NHL Season

• Hockey Preview: What to expect ahead of the NHL Season
• ‘Truly an honour’: Auston Matthews named 26th captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
• House of Hockey returns for second season
• ‘The accountability is on me’: Shanahan accepts responsibility for Maple Leafs playoff failure
• Auston Matthews suffered from sickness, hit to head: Treliving
• ‘Difficulty of the business’: Treliving addresses Keefe’s firing
• ‘Just win’: MLSE President and CEO Keith Pelley speaks on future of the Maple Leafs
• Toronto Maple Leafs fire head coach Sheldon Keefe
• Leafs hope to capitalize on momentum in first home game vs. Boston
• NHL playoffs: Can a Canadian team win the Stanley Cup after 31-year drought?

Previous Video

Next Video

Ekman-Larsson got the Leafs on the board in the second with his first goal for Toronto, but Texier made it 3-1 before the period was out.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Toronto head coach Craig Berube, who led St. Louis to the franchise’s only Stanley Cup victory in 2019, faced his former club for the first time since getting fired in December.

Takeaways

The Blues played their first game without centre Robert Thomas after he suffered a broken ankle in Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The 25-year-old, who had one goal and five assists in seven games, is expected to miss at least six weeks of action.

The Leafs got a number of big stops from Woll. Anthony Stolarz was outstanding in his absence, going 3-2-0 with a .938 percentage and 1.83 goals-against average.

Key moment

Toronto’s power play had an opportunity to get the team within one while down 3-1 in the second, but again fired blanks to drop to 0-for-3 on the night — and 3-for-26 on the season. The Leafs had another fruitless man advantage in the third.

Key stat

Broberg, who was plucked by the Blues from the Edmonton Oilers in August along with Holloway when the pair signed offer sheets the same day, has seven points in eight games.

Up next

Toronto opens a two-game road trip Saturday against the Boston Bruins, while St. Louis visits the Montreal Canadiens in the second of four straight contests away from home.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.

Follow @JClipperton_CP on X.