National Hockey League
St. Louis 5, Anaheim 1
When: 10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
Referees: Gord Dwyer, Frederic L'Ecuyer
Linesmen: Ryan Gibbons, James Tobias
Attendance: 16795

Zach Sanford and Tyler Bozak scored goals in their return from injured reserve, and the visiting St. Louis Blues went on to an easy 5-1 victory Wednesday over the Anaheim Ducks in the final game for each team before the All-Star break.

Vladimir Tarasenko, Oskar Sundqvist and Sammy Blais also scored goals as the Blues overcame an early deficit to clinch their first winning month of the season (7-4-1). Jordan Binnington made 12 saves for St. Louis, which ended a three-game road losing streak.

Daniel Sprong scored for the Ducks, who have put up two goals or fewer in 11 of their past 16 games. Anaheim took just two shots in the first period, with Sprong delivering his eighth goal on the Ducks' first shot 6:44 into the contest.

The Ducks' 1-0 lead did not last long. Less than four minutes later, Tarasenko tied the score 1-1 with his 17th goal of the season, giving him points in three consecutive games. Brayden Schenn picked up a loose puck behind the Ducks' goal and fed Tarasenko out in front for the score.

Sanford, who missed the previous three games because of a concussion, made it an eventful return when he scored his sixth goal of the season at 2:04 of the second period. Sanford intercepted a pass at the Ducks' blue line and beat the Anaheim defense up the ice to score from the right circle.

Sundqvist made it a 3-1 lead at 7:41 of the second period, taking a Pat Maroon pass from the right side of the goal and redirecting the puck past Ducks goaltender John Gibson.

Bozak, who missed nine games due to a concussion, scored his seventh of the season at 8:42 of the third period for a 4-1 lead, redirecting the puck off the skate of the Ducks' Nick Ritchie. Less than a minutes later, Blais piled on for the Blues, scoring his second of the season.

Gibson, the Ducks' lone representative at the All-Star Game, has allowed at least five-plus goals in a game five times this season and twice in his past six games. He made 26 saves before he was pulled in the middle of the third period. Chad Johnson took over and stopped the only shot he faced.

The Ducks head into the break having lost 14 of their past 16 games, a stretch that included a franchise-worst 12-game losing streak.

Before the game, the Ducks announced that forward Ondrej Kase will undergo shoulder surgery for a torn shoulder labrum. He will miss five to six months.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
St. Louis   Anaheim
Zach Sanford 2 Points Daniel Sprong 1
Zach Sanford 1 Goals Daniel Sprong 1
Zach Sanford 1 Assists Ryan Getzlaf 1
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Jordan Binnington .923 Save Percentage Chad Johnson 1.000
Jordan Binnington 12 Saves John Gibson 26
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
St. Louis 32 5 0-0 1-1 2 26
Anaheim 13 1 0-1 0-0 0 27
Upcoming Games
  • Anaheim will play their next game on the road against Winnipeg. The Ducks have a W/L % of .591 after a win and .276 after a loss.
  • St. Louis will play their next game on the road against Columbus. The Blues have a W/L % of .286 after a win and .571 after a loss.