As we approach the short American Thanksgiving Day break in the National Hockey League, the St. Louis Blues are in a playoff spot in the Western Conference. They are tied with the Seattle Kraken for seventh place as both teams have 19 points. One reason for the Blues’s success has been their first line production. Center Robert Thomas of Aurora, Ontario, and wingers Pavel Buchnevich of Cherepovets, Russia, and Jordan Kyrou of Toronto, Ontario have combined for 38 points in 17 games.
Pavel Buchnevich in 2023-24
Of those 38 points, Buchnevich has 11 points. He has six goals and five assists in 15 games. He is a +5 with four penalty minutes, three power-play points, three shorthanded points, one game-winning goal, 41 shots on goal, one faceoff win, three blocked shots, five hits, 13 takeaways, and seven giveaways. The game-winning goal came on Sunday in a 3-1 Blues win over the Anaheim Ducks. Buchnevich scored from defenseman Scott Perunovich of Hibbing, Minnesota and Kyrou at 16:34 of the first period on the power-play. At the time, the Blues took a 2-0 lead over the Ducks.
Notable Hat Trick on November 11
Buchnevich was one of two Blues players to record a hat trick in an 8-2 Blues win over the Colorado Avalanche on November 11. The other was Blues captain Brayden Schenn of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This was only the third time in Blues history, they have had two hat tricks in a game. The first time came on October 20, 1984 in an 8-3 Blues win over the New Jersey Devils. That is when Kevin LaVallee of Sudbury, Ontario and Dave Barr of Toronto, Ontario each had hat tricks. The second time came on February 23, 1986 when Mark Hunter of Petrolia, Ontario and Doug Gilmour of Kingston, Ontario each scored thrice in an 8-2 Blues win over the Hartford Whalers.
On Remembrance Day, Buchnevich first scored from Oskar Sundqvist of Boden, Sweden and Colton Parayko of St. Albert, Alberta at 11:52 of the second period shorthanded to put the Blues up 4-0 at the time. Buchnevich then scored on the power-play from Thomas and Schenn at 1:20 of the third period to put the Blues up 5-1. He then scored shorthanded from Thomas at 15:57 of the third period to put the Blues up 7-1.
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