The St. Louis hockey players, losing in the series 1-2, in the fourth match of the confrontation, they thought more not about winning, but how to annoy the Colorado player Nazem Kadri. Due to the actions of the Evs forward in the last meeting, the Blues goalkeeper Jordan Binnington was injured.

Kadri immediately became hated by all the fans, and the Blues players tried to hurt him. Pavel Buchnevich, on emotions, even powerfully hit Binnington’s offender in the back. However, the desire to avenge their keeper in the fourth match led the Blues to defeat, and the most offensive for St. Louis was that Kadri made a big contribution to the victory of Evs.

At the same time, even before the meeting, the Colorado forward was threatened with reprisal.

Hunt for Kadri

Due to the injury of the main keeper of the Blues, Kadri was subjected to racist attacks, the striker also received threats. Fans of the “bluesmen” promised to physically deal with Kadri. The situation became so tense that NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly had to intervene.

“We take threats against any of our players or other members of the club seriously. We are in contact with the St. Louis Police Department and they are implementing enhanced security measures both at the arena and at the hotel,” Daley said.

Daly kept his word, there were no incidents with Kadri and Blues fans. However, every time the forward touched the puck in the fourth meeting, the Blues fans booed him.

Nazem Kadri (center) / Photo: © REUTERS / Jeff Le-USA TODAY Sports

If Kadri could provide safety overboard, then on the ice no one could promise him this. And the St. Louis hockey players staged a real hunt for the Evs forward.

Buchnevich spent a dirty power

The Blues were not going to be one step away from relegation in the next match, so they ran to compare the score in the series already at the start. And at the beginning of the first period, Buchnevich made an accurate pass from the corner to David Perron, who outplayed the opponent’s keeper with one movement.

However, the Bluesmen failed to develop the advantage after the abandoned puck. And the beginning of the second period completely failed – in less than two minutes three goals visited their gates.

The St. Louis fans were furious, but it wasn’t just the disastrous stretch that pissed them off. One of the goals was scored by the same Kadri, who, after an abandoned puck, turned to the fans of the “bluesmen”.

Blues hockey players also received a painful blow to pride. But if the audience could only boo Kadri, then the “bluesmen” decided to punish the annoying striker – during the pause, Perron drove into him at speed. The Colorado striker wanted to react to the rudeness, but Buchnevich immediately flew into him, powerfully hitting him in the back. The players of “St. Louis” seemed not enough, and Perron pounced on Kadri, who was already sprawled on the ice.

Nazem Kadri and David Perron / Photo: © REUTERS / Jeff Le-USA TODAY Sports

For such a trick during the pause, Perron and Buchnevich predictably went to the penalty box. “Colorado” played the majority 5 on 3, but such a gift from the rival “Evalanche” was not used.

But when both “bluesmen” left the penalty box, then after seven seconds the same Kadri again celebrated the abandoned puck at the gates of “St. Louis”.

It is interesting what was going on in the minds of Perron and Buchnevich at that moment, but they no longer gave vent to emotions. On the contrary, they decided to punish Kadri in a sporting manner. At first, Perron scored in the majority, and two minutes later Buchnevich also scored when playing extra.

Before the start of the final 20-minute period, the Blues were only one goal behind. Therefore, the Blues fans believed in their team and the positive outcome of the meeting. However, in the middle of the period, Kadri issued a sentence to St. Louis, throwing Valery Nichushkin from the transfer.

And the final blow to the heart of the Blues fans was Kadri’s pass two seconds before the end of the meeting, after which Mikko Rantanen threw it into an empty net.

As a result, “St. Louis” lost heavily to “Colorado” – 3:6 and loses in the series 1-3. Now the Blues have no room for error, so in the fifth match they should play hockey, and not hunt the Evs players.