Hofer makes 34 saves, Blues hold off Kraken

SEATTLE — Joel Hofer made 34 saves, and the St. Louis Blues held off the Seattle Kraken for a 3-2 win at Climate Pledge Arena on Wednesday.

Robert Thomas had a goal and an assist, Brayden Schenn had three assists, and Logan Mailloux and Dylan Holloway each scored for the Blues (23-29-9), who have won two straight and improved to 3-1-0 since the Olympic break, including a 5-1 victory over Seattle on Feb. 26. 

“We’re playing better hockey [lately],” Schenn said. “Making a few more plays with the puck, defending better… We’ve got to keep this going and keep building and playing for one another.”

Vince Dunn had a goal and an assist, and Jaden Schwartz scored for the Kraken (29-23-9), who had won their previous two. Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves.

“I don’t think it was anything they were doing,” Seattle coach Lane Lambert said of his team’s struggle to hold momentum. “We just didn’t continue with our pressure. There’s no excuse for it. I don’t have an answer for you.” 

Schwartz gave the Kraken a 1-0 lead just 31 seconds into the game when he buried the rebound of Adam Larsson's right point shot between Hofer's pads.

“We had a good start,” Schwartz said. “They were pretty opportunistic, made a couple nice plays, but we had chances at times.”

Mailloux scored his second goal in as many games to tie it 1-1 at 6:50 of the first, collecting the rebound of a Schenn shot behind the net and beating Grubauer to the far post with a wraparound.

“I just kind of jumped in the rush, and [Thomas] had a nice shot at me on his backhand,” Mailloux said. “I just kind of followed it up and saw an opening.”

St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery said, “[With Mailloux] you’re seeing a young man really starting to grow his confidence. I thought tonight was by far his best game, and he’s had several good games in the last little while.” 

Holloway put St. Louis up 2-1 while the teams skated 4-on-4 at 7:40 of the second period. He drove to the crease and redirected Cam Fowler’s shot pass from the top of the right face-off circle at the back door into an open net.

“They had some momentum shifts and stuff, but I just really liked the way we kept playing,” Montgomery said. 

Thomas increased the lead to 3-1 at 1:33 of the third period when lifted a wrist shot past Grubauer to the glove side off a pass from Schenn.

“We’re probably having a little bit more poise with the puck,” Schenn said. “[We’re] maybe, at some times, trying too much. But at the end of the day, guys are getting rewarded with goals.”

Dunn cut the deficit to 3-2 at 13:34. Jordan Eberle sent a centering pass from below the goal line to Dunn, who scored from in front with a snap shot past Hofer's glove under the bar.

“With all the noise going around [regarding the upcoming March 6 NHL Trade Deadline], we want to be a team that's competitive and a team that's pushing for the playoffs,” Dunn said. “You slip a little bit at this time of the year, it’s not a good feeling from top to bottom.”

After Blues defenseman Justin Faulk was called for a delay of game penalty with 2:06 left in the third period, and with Grubauer pulled for the extra attacker, Seattle pushed but could not find the tying goal despite the 6-on-4 advantage.

“Our best defender was our goalie,” Montgomery said. “But we kept them to the outside, we ate some shots, we blocked some shots, so there was a lot of good things to like there. I really liked our poise down the stretch.”

NOTES: Blues defenseman Colton Parayko missed his third straight game. ... Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren returned to the lineup after missing three games with an upper-body injury. He was minus-2 in 13:46 of ice time.