HOCKEY: Dylan Holloway returns with hat trick as Blues rout Kraken

St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway returned from the injured list in style, recording three goals and an assist to lead his team past the visiting Seattle Kraken 5-1 Thursday night.

Holloway, playing his first game since Jan. 18, notched his second career hat trick after missing most of the season with a high ankle sprain.

Pius Suter contributed a goal and two assists for St. Louis, which earned its second win in 10 games (2-7-1) following the three-week Olympic break. Jordan Kyrou also scored, while Jonatan Berggren and Justin Faulk each tallied two assists. Goalie Joel Hofer made 23 saves.

Kaapo Kakko scored for Seattle, which has dropped its first two games since the break. Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 shots.

The Blues came out strong against a Kraken team that had played in Dallas the night before. St. Louis dominated early, holding a 5-0 shot advantage in the first six minutes, with Pavel Buchnevich hitting the post on one attempt. Holloway opened the scoring at 7:58 of the first period, converting Suter’s setup from the left faceoff dot.

Seattle briefly evened the game at 1-1 when Kakko crashed the net and converted Shane Wright’s rebound with 7:28 remaining in the period.

St. Louis regained control early in the second period, scoring twice in 23 seconds. Kyrou struck first on the rush off Buchnevich’s cross-ice pass at 1:12, followed by Holloway’s goal during a scramble after Logan Mailloux’s point shot and attempts by Suter and Berggren.

The Blues extended their lead to 4-1 early in the third period when Holloway set up Suter with a rebound pass from Faulk’s blue-line shot. Holloway capped his hat trick with an empty-net goal at 16:59.

St. Louis now looks to build momentum as it moves forward from the Olympic break, while Seattle searches for answers after consecutive losses.

—Field Level Media/Reuters