SEATTLE – Oliver Bjorkstrand played like it was his All-Star audition tape, even though he’s already booked his ticket.
Bjorkstrand and linemate Eeli Tolvanen scored twice in three minutes and the St. Louis Blues bench called its timeout in an attempt to settle things down. The Blues, who entered the game one point ahead of the Kraken in the standings, were able to chip away at the Kraken’s lead and tied the game at 3 early in the third period.
It became a three-point game between two hungry teams just below the playoff cutoff. The contest slid into overtime, with the loser assured of one standings point and the winner, two. St. Louis scored with 1:29 left in the extra period after peppering Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord (14 saves), making off with a 4-3 victory Friday night at Climate Pledge Arena.
Bjorkstrand is set to represent the Kraken at the NHL All-Star Game next weekend. He went down to one knee to finish a pass from Alex Wennberg and make it 2-1 Seattle four minutes into the second period.
Bjorkstrand parked himself in front of St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington repeatedly and could have easily had his first career hat trick, and the Kraken’s first of the season. He smacked Tolvanen’s rebound into Binnington’s pads twice during the first period and couldn’t shake his stick blade free in time to catch a loose puck late in the second.
Before Bjorkstrand’s goal, St. Louis’ Marco Scandella took a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head of Jared McCann. McCann, who suffered a concussion during the 2023 playoffs and missed six games, went right back out with the power play and earned the secondary assist.
Tolvanen scored to make it 3-1 at the end of a so-called tic-tac-toe passing play that began with Bjorkstrand picking the pocket of Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich. Bjorkstrand pushed his stolen goods to Yanni Gourde, back in the lineup after serving a two-game suspension.
The only thing sweeter than a goal call is the arena announcement that an opponent has elected to use its 30-second timeout directly after a goal call. That usually means things are going south for them, and fast. But the Blues steadied themselves and erased the two-goal deficit.
Seattle’s Matty Beniers, injured since Jan. 15, returned to the game action. He missed five games with an upper-body concern.
The Kraken allowed the opening goal to the Blues’ Oskar Sundqvist but Brian Dumoulin wristed in the tying goal later in the first period. In his 11th NHL season, Dumoulin is one goal away from his career high of five, set in 2017-18 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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This story was originally published January 27, 2024, 12:04 AM.
