Blues Handle Wild, 6-4, At 2022 Winter Classic In Coldest NHL Game Ever

Posted on January 1, 2022 by Harrison Brown
Photo: Harrison Barden/Getty Images

The St. Louis Blues held on to defeat the Minnesota Wild by a score of 6-4 in the 2022 NHL Winter Classic at Target Field, home of the MLB’s Minnesota Twins, in St. Paul on Saturday night. The game was the NHL’s coldest ever as it was -6 degrees fahrenheit at puck drop and tied for the highest-scoring outdoor one.

The Blues take sole possession of first place in the Central Division with 43 points with the win. The Wild are three points behind them and two behind the Nashville Predators with a game in hand on both teams.

Pregame Scenes

First Period

Blues left-wing David Perron stashed a loose puck by Wild goaltender Cam Talbot’s blocker from the left side after defenseman Jon Merrill blocked a shot and the puck went right to Perron to help him open the scoring with 5:31 left in the first period.

Wild left-wing Kirill Kaprizov fought off Blues defenseman Colton Parayko while trying to drive to the net and tried to feed right-wing Mats Zuccarello but the puck went off of Blues defenseman Niko Mikkola and past the left pad of goaltender Jordan Binnington to tie it 25 seconds later.

The Blues led 14-6 in shots through 20 minutes.

Second Period

27 seconds in, Wild right-wing Ryan Hartman deflect left-wing Jordan Kyrou’s intended feed for right-wing Vladimir Tarasenko from the wall in the net at the goal crease after Kyrou took the puck down from the blueline to the goal line to give St. Louis the lead back.

Tarasenko blasted a one-timer through by the right arm of Wild goaltender Cam Talbot from the right dot after Kyrou, who took the play up from the defensive end, fed him from up top to make it 3-1 at 8:55.

Center Ivan Barbashev tucked home the puck in front after Talbot robbed Kyrou’s wrist shot from the dot on the power-play to extend the Blues’ lead to three with 5:14 left.

Kyrou, who set an NHL-record fourth point in one outdoor game, ripped a shot over the glove from the left dot after executing a give-and-go passing play with center Robert Thomas and hesitating for a moment to give the Blues a 5-1 advantage with 2:02 to go.

Center Rem Pitlick banked a shot off of the stick of Binnington and in from behind the net to get the Wild back within three 40 seconds later.

Defenseman Torey Krug ripped one from the slot past Talbot’s glove after getting a pass by Barbashev from the dot to restore the Blues’ four-goal lead 41 seconds after the Wild struck.

The Blues led 28-14 in shots, including 14-9 in the second.

Third Period

Wild goaltender Kappo Kahkonen replaced Talbot.

Hartman buried a pass by Zuccarelllo into a wide open net at the side of the goal on a two-on-one to cut the St. Louis lead in half at 8:40.

Wild left-wing Kevin Fiala wristed one in front of the goal after getting a feed from the side by Kaprizov, faking a shot, waiting, and beating Binnington lower blocker-side to get within two with 5:44 left.

Binnington earned 27 saves while Talbot finished with 22. Kahkonen stopped all three that came his way in the third period.

Images From Event

About Harrison Brown

Harrison is a diehard Caps fan and a hockey fanatic with a passion for sports writing. He attended his first game at age 8 and has been a season ticket holder since the 2010-2011 season. His fondest Caps memory was watching the Capitals hoist the Stanley Cup in Las Vegas. In his spare time, he enjoys travel, photography, and hanging out with his two dogs. Follow Harrison on Twitter @HarrisonB927077
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