Schenn, Buchnevich score in first 90 seconds to help Blues beat Ducks 7-2

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St. Louis Blues’ Brayden Schenn (10) scores past Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal (1) as Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe (2) and Radko Gudas (7) watch during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Anaheim Ducks’ Leo Carlsson (91) and St. Louis Blues’ Philip Broberg (6) battle for a loose puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Anaheim Ducks’ Jacob Trouba, left, and St. Louis Blues’ Brayden Schenn (10) fight as Blues’ Jordan Kyrou, right, watches during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Anaheim Ducks’ Troy Terry (19) deflects a puck wide of St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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St. Louis Blues’ Brayden Schenn is honored for playing in 1000 games during a ceremony before the start of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks Sunday, March 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Anaheim Ducks’ Isac Lundestrom (21) handles the puck as St. Louis Blues’ Brayden Schenn (10) skates during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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St. Louis Blues’ Brayden Schenn (10) reaches for a loose puck as Anaheim Ducks’ Jansen Harkins (38) and Isac Lundestrom (21) defend during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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St. Louis Blues’ Dylan Holloway, left, is congratulated by teammate Justin Faulk after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks Sunday, March 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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St. Louis Blues’ Brayden Schenn (10) and Anaheim Ducks’ Jacob Trouba chase after a loose puck as Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, right, watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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St. Louis Blues’ Nathan Walker celebrates after getting an assist on a goal by teammate Radek Faksa during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks Sunday, March 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) stops a shot from Anaheim Ducks’ Troy Terry (19) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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St. Louis Blues’ Oskar Sundqvist (70) scores past Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ville Husso as Ducks’ Jacob Trouba (65) and Drew Helleson (43) watch during the third period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

By DAVID SOLOMON

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich each scored in the first 90 seconds, and the St. Louis Blues beat the Anaheim Ducks 7-2 on Sunday night.

Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours each had a goal and an assist, and Pavel Buchnevich, Radek Faksa, Mathieu Joseph and Oskar Sundqvist also scored for St. Louis. Jordan Kyrou had three assists, and Justin Faulk had two.

Jordan Binnington made 22 saves as the Blues won for the eighth time in 11 games (8-2-1) to pull into a tie with Vancouver for the second wild card in the Western Conference.

Cutter Gauthier had a goal and an assist, Nikita Nesterenko also scored and Mason McTavish had two assists for the Ducks, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Lukas Dostal gave up five goals on 14 shots over the first two periods, and Ville Husso stopped 10 of the 12 shots he faced in the third.

Schenn scored his 16th goal of the season 41 seconds into the game, and Buchnevich added his 14th goal just 49 seconds later to give St. Louis an early 2-0 lead.

Schenn, honored by the Blues for playing in his 1,000th career game earlier this month, also fought Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba late in the first, earning a major for fighting and a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The start of the game was pushed back two hours after St. Louis was forced to spend Saturday night in St. Paul after playing Minnesota due to a mechanical issue with the team’s plane.

Takeaways

Ducks: Anaheim lost for the eighth time in 12 games (4-7-1) to fall eight points out of the second wild card in the Western Conference.

Blues: St. Louis attacked early and didn’t allow Anaheim to generate many scoring threats.

Key moment

Binnington stopped Trevor Zegras on a breakaway opportunity that would have cut Anaheim’s deficit to 3-2 in the second period 3:31 after Gauthier got the Ducks on the scoreboard.

Key stat

St. Louis went 3 for 4 on the power play, 3 for 3 on the penalty-kill and scored a short-handed goal.

Up next

Ducks visit Dallas on Tuesday, and Blues play at Nashville.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl