DENVER (AP) — Robert Thomas broke a tie with 2:50 left to complete his first NHL hat trick and the St. Louis Blues kept their late postseason charge rolling with a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night to open a home-and-home set.
The teams will meet again Tuesday night in St. Louis.
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The Blues are 13-3-3 since the NHL returned from the Olympic break in late February. They have 78 points as they chase the last Western Conference wild-card spot, which is currently occupied by Nashville with 81 points. Los Angeles (81), San Jose (79) and Winnipeg (78) are in the mix, too.
Thomas pushed his goals total to 21. He scored the winner off Jimmy Snuggerud’s third assist. Joel Hofer finished with 26 saves, weathering a flurry of activity in the third period after losing a skate blade.
The Avalanche were coming off a 2-0 win over Dallas on Saturday. They’re on the brink of wrapping up the Central Division and top seed in the Western Conference. In addition, they’re six points ahead of Carolina in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy.
Parker Kelly and Brent Burns scored for Colorado. The 41-year-old Burns also had an assist in his 1,001st straight game. He was honored before the game for No. 1,000, with teammates, past and present, offering congratulations in a video tribute.
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Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 25 shots. The Avalanche were 0 for 3 on the power play.
Ross Colton nearly put the Avalanche up midway through the first period when he knocked in a puck out of the air. But the Blues successfully challenged the play for offside.
Moments later, Thomas scored to make it 1-0. Colorado tied it up on Kelly’s 20th goal of the season.
Colorado forward Valeri Nichushkin was a late scratch with an upper-body injury.
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