Brayden Schenn powers Blues past Canadiens as captain delivers 2 goals, 1 assist in road win

Brayden Schenn put a stamp on the Blues’ weekend with a classic captain’s performance, scoring twice and adding an assist in a 4–3 victory over the Canadiens on Sunday night. Coming 24 hours after St. Louis squeezed out a 2–1 result in Ottawa, the three-point outburst capped a perfect back-to-back and steadied a roster juggling injuries up front.

Why Brayden Schenn’s night matters now

St. Louis entered the trip needing offense-by-committee. With multiple forwards sidelined and others banged up, Schenn’s timing couldn’t be better. The veteran pivot didn’t just pile up points—he set the tone on special teams, drove entries when the game bogged down, and won key defensive-zone draws after Montreal goals to calm the building. It was a captain’s blueprint: physical, opportunistic, and loud in the moments that swing results.

How Schenn beat Montreal: the goals, the assist, the details

• Power-play strike: St. Louis changed the look on its man advantage, using net-front seals to open the bumper lane. Schenn slid into the soft spot between the dots and hammered home a one-touch finish, snapping a stretch where the unit had leaned more on point shots than interior touches.

• Even-strength dagger: With Montreal pressing, Schenn found space off a controlled entry, curled into the right circle, and picked his corner through traffic—vintage patience and deception to restore the two-goal cushion before the final push.

• Primary helper: On the night’s other key tally, Schenn drew a high defender, slipped the puck into the slot, and let a streaking linemate finish—simple read, perfect weight, exactly the kind of play that punishes overplays on his shot.

Beyond the scoring, Schenn’s board work mattered. He extended possessions that bled the clock and forced defensive changes, a quiet reason St. Louis controlled the pace in the second period.

The captain effect: leadership that travels

Back-to-backs are as much about management as execution. Schenn’s line started shifts on time, finished checks without chasing, and bought the bench clean change windows. He also logged tough penalty-kill minutes after a sequence of Montreal power plays tilted the ice. Those hybrid responsibilities—PP trigger, PK helper, late-game closer—are why his best nights tend to stabilize everything around him.

Supporting cast and the weekend arc

• Dylan Holloway rode shotgun with a goal and two assists, flashing the speed and touch that can unlock Schenn’s give-and-go game.

• Pavel Buchnevich added a timely finish that rewarded a heavy cycle shift.

• Jordan Binnington turned aside 23 shots, including a glove theft on a back-door look during Montreal’s final surge.

The night before in Ottawa, Joel Hofer’s 41-save special and Jake Neighbours’ brace delivered a 2–1 win. Stack the two results together and the weekend reads like a template: goaltending excellence, opportunistic special teams, and senior skaters closing.

Context check: injuries and the depth puzzle

The Blues’ forward picture shifted fast over the past week. Jimmy Snuggerud is out at least six weeks following wrist surgery; Nathan Walker is sidelined longer-term; Alexey Toropchenko is week-to-week after a non-hockey accident; and Jordan Kyrou exited the Ottawa game with a left-leg issue. That’s a lot of finishing and forecheck pressure missing from the lineup. Schenn’s ability to toggle between shooter and facilitator is the pressure valve that keeps the top six functioning while younger players audition for touch-time in scoring areas.

By the numbers: Schenn’s impact vs. Canadiens

• 3 points (2G, 1A) — team-high

• Special teams contribution: 1 PPG, multiple OZ touches that forced coverage shifts

• Faceoffs: crucial wins after Canadiens goals, stemming momentum

• Shot quality: repeated interior looks created by subtle delays and inside positioning rather than low-percentage perimeter volume

What it means for St. Louis

Four points from two road games in 24 hours changes the week’s mood and the standings math. The Blues tightened up their identity: layered neutral-zone pressure, smarter exits through the middle, and a power play that hunts the interior when it matters. With roster churn ongoing, they’ll need more of the same—Schenn setting the floor, Buchnevich driving entries, and whichever winger is hot finishing the last pass.

What’s next

The schedule tightens with a Central Division tilt midweek before another Eastern swing. If the staff keeps the power-play tweak and leans on Schenn’s line to start periods, St. Louis can bank points while the forward group gets healthier. Either way, Sunday’s tape is the model: Brayden Schenn leading from the middle of the ice, dictating tempo, and delivering the big moments that travel.