Joel Hofer, Blues shut out Islanders for OT win
Joel Hofer made 34 saves and Jake Neighbours scored as the St. Louis Blues blanked the visiting New York Islanders 1-0 in overtime Thursday.
Hofer earned his second career shutout and helped set up Neighbours' winning goal 2:04 into overtime with his outlet pass.
Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves for the Islanders, who have lost three of their four games.
The Islanders earned a 7-6 edge in shots and the Blues produced the first period's only extended offensive possession, but neither team earned a great scoring chance in the scoreless first 20 minutes.
Hofer was caught out of the net twice on unpredictable caroms off the corner boards. But, each time the puck bounced in front of the empty net, the Blues got there first.
The offensive pace picked up during the scoreless second period, with each team putting 14 shots on goal.
The Islanders sustained an offensive flurry early in the period, but Bo Horvat rang two shots off the post and the game remained scoreless.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau redirected a shot from the low slot during an Islanders power play.
After the Blues killed off another power play, they got a great opportunity off their forecheck. Brayden Schenn stole the puck in the offensive zone, broke in alone and reached a shot around Sorokin - only to hit the post.
Schenn got a second shot from the slot, but Sorokin was waiting on it.
On the Blues' first power play, Sorokin stopped Robert Thomas from the right circle and denied Brandon Saad from directly in front of the net.
Each team created a goal-mouth scramble early in the third period, but Sorokin and Hofer held the fort.
Then Sorokin reached back with his paddle to stop Neighbours' follow shot just short of the goal line.
Midway through the third period, Hofer stopped Horvat's shot from the low slot after an Islanders faceoff win.
Blues defenseman Colton Parayko swept the puck out of harm's way during another Islanders scramble with two minutes left in regulation to force overtime.
