Aleksanteri Kaskimaki scored his first career goal with 6:45 remaining to cap St. Louis’ rally from a two-goal, third-period deficit and give the Blues a 5-4 victory over the host Detroit Red Wings on Saturday afternoon.
Kaskimaki tipped in an Alexey Toropchenko pass to complete the comeback. Kaskimaki was playing in his 11th NHL game.
Jimmy Snuggerud scored his team-high eighth goal while Dalibor Dvorsky, Pavel Buchnevich and Justin Barron added the Blues’ other goals. Joel Hofer made 24 saves in the opener of St. Louis’ four-game road trip.
Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist to lead the Red Wings. J.T. Compher and Keegan Kolesar scored the first goals of the season for Detroit. Kolesar’s goal was his first point in 14 games since he was acquired from Vegas this offseason.
Emmitt Finnie added a power play goal for the Red Wings, while John Gibson made 10 saves.
The Red Wings were playing their second game since center and former captain Dylan Larkin was suspended without pay. Larkin, who wants to be traded, left the team after its road trip earlier this week.
The Blues took the lead 2:29 into the contest. Dvorsky scored in front on a backhander, converting Barron’s pass from the right circle.
Compher tied it at 8:13 of the period after a mistake by Hofer. who misplayed the puck behind the net, allowing Michael Rasmussen to pass it to Compher, who slid it into the empty net.
Kolesar scored 41 seconds into the second period on a breakaway, Raymond made it 3-1 later in the period on a shot from the high slot that beat Hofer on the short side. Snuggerud tucked in a rebound of a Robert Thomas shot during the final minute of the period.
With the Blues’ Jake Neighbours in the penalty box for tripping, Finnie scored from the slot to make it 4-2 at 3:29 of the third period.
Buchnevich scored at 8:37 of the period off a feed from Neighbours and Barron tied it at 4-apiece four minutes later with a shot from the slot.