Alex Pietrangelo
March 12-18, 2018
3-6–9 over 4 GP
Led NHL scoring in points
Factored in back-to-back game-tying and game-winning goals
Alex Pietrangelo led the NHL in scoring (3-6–9), and factored on back-to-back game-tying and game-winning goals to help keep the St. Louis Blues’ playoff push to a Western Conference wild card spot alive and well.
The Blues started their week by picking up two points Monday as Pietrangelo earned the game’s first star in a 4-2 road win over the Anaheim Ducks. The captain recorded a pair of assists over 25:10 of ice time while blocking four shots.
Thursday night in St. Louis, Pietrangelo skated in a team-high 24:15 of ice time and blocked five shots while recording three shots on goal, but his team fell 4-1 to the visiting Colorado Avalanche who with the win took over the first western wild card spot.
Saturday night, the Blues were in dire need of points to buoy their playoff hopes – and the team responded with a 4-3 overtime win over the New York Rangers at Scottrade Center. Pietrangelo netted first star of the game honours by picking up a pair of goals and assisting on Brayden Schenn’s game-deciding marker as his club earned two valuable points to cut the Dallas Stars' lead to three points for the conference's second wild card spot.
"I thought other than the second period, we had some real good pushes. I think we did a lot of things we built off (our last road) trip. I thought we let it get away from us a bit there (in the second period), but overall we needed those two points," the King City, Ontario native told reporters postgame.
Pietrangelo opened the game's scoring in the first period before scoring the game-tying goal in the third period on the power-play – St. Louis’ first successful conversion with the extra man in 16 opportunities.
The Blues closed out the second game of their home and away back-to-back with a 5-4 overtime thriller at United Center Sunday night.
With an extra attacker on the ice for St. Louis in the third period, Pietrangelo scored the game-tying goal with a shot that ricocheted off the post and in past J-F Berube, before No. 27 went on to tally the assist on Patrik Berglund’s game-winner.
With the assist, Pietrangelo became the second defenceman in franchise history to score at least three points in consecutive games, joining Rob Ramage – who first accomplished the feat with the Blues in his 1987-88 season. Fellow defenceman Vince Dunn also penciled his name in the record books alongside the team captain as the duo became the first defencemen in franchise history to both record at least four points each in a single game – and eighth pair in NHL history.
Alex Pietrangelo and Vince Dunn became the first defensemen in @StLouisBlues history to record at least four points apiece in a game. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/mkOjjyOkU6
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 19, 2018
The dramatic rally Sunday earned St. Louis a valuable point to stay in the running for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference with a game in hand over the Dallas Stars.
The Blues get their next chance to leapfrog into a playoff spot Wednesday night when the team hosts the Boston Bruins.
Complete listing of the 2017-18 NHLPA.com Players of the Week here
