Jordan Kyrou Tallies 4 Points as Blues Defeat Wild in 2022 Winter Classic

The St. Louis Blues defeated the Minnesota Wild 6-4 in the 2022 NHL Winter Classic at Target Field in Minneapolis to move to 19-9-5 and maintain first place in the Central Division.

The Blues were lucky enough to get several players back from injury for Saturday's contest, including Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, and David Perron, who returned to the team for a 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 29. Oskar Sundqvist, Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Buchnevich also returned to the lineup against Minnesota.

Saturday's win was the Blues' second Winter Classic victory. They defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 when they hosted the outdoor event at the St. Louis Cardinals' Busch Stadium in 2017.  

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Notable Stats

Jordan Kyrou, FWD, STL: 2 goals, 2 assists, +1

Kirill Kaprizov, FWD, MIN: 1 goal, 2 assists, +1

Ivan Barbashev, FWD, STL: 1 goal, 1 assist, +1

Ryan Hartman, FWD, MIN: 1 goal, 1 assist, +1

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Blues' Jordan Kyrou Has Record-Setting Night

Kyrou couldn't be stopped on Saturday night, and he was arguably the best player on the ice.

The 23-year-old finished with two goals and two assists for four points. He is the first player in NHL history to record at least four points in an outdoor game.

Kyrou entered the Winter Classic with 10 goals and 18 assists in 28 games. He's on pace to surpass his career high of 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists), which he set during the 2020-21 campaign. 

The 23-year-old has been particularly hot over his last two games. In his last outing on Dec. 29 against the Oilers, he tallied one goal and two assists in a 4-2 win. What's even more impressive about this run is that he missed four games before Wednesday's game against Edmonton because of an upper-body injury.

Much of Kyrou's success can also be attributed to his linemates, Robert Thomas and Vladimir Tarasenko, who is a two-time All-Star and five-time 30-plus goal scorer. Thomas has been more of a depth player over his four-year career, but did put up 42 points during the 2019-20 season. 

The Blues selected Kyrou in the second round of the 2016 draft. He agreed to a two-year, $5.6 million deal before the 2021-22 season and will remain with the franchise through the 2022-23 campaign. 

Based on his performance in the Winter Classic and throughout the season, it's probably safe to say Kyrou will be a big part of the Blues' future.

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Kirill Kaprizov's Effort Not Enough

Kaprizov is one of the most thrilling young players in the NHL, and he kicked off the Winter Classic by scoring Minnesota's first goal of the night 25 seconds after Blues forward David Perron tallied St. Louis' first goal of the game in the first period. 

Kaprizov also assisted on Ryan Hartman's third period goal for his second point of the night, and Kevin Fiala's third period goal for his third point of the game. 

The 24-year-old has been playing on Minnesota's top line alongside Hartman and Mats Zuccarello, and entered Saturday's game leading the team with 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 30 games. 

Kaprizov agreed to a five-year, $45 million contract with the Wild in September. His $9 million cap hit is the largest in franchise history, and that deal is already paying off for Minnesota. 

The Wild selected Kaprizov in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, but he didn't make his NHL debut until the 2020-21 campaign. The native of Russia tallied 27 goals and 24 assists in 55 games last year to win the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. 

If anything, the Winter Classic proved that Kaprizov can be Minnesota's face of the franchise, and only big things are expected from him in the future. 

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What's Next?

The Blues will travel to face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, while the Wild will be on the road Thursday to take on the Boston Bruins.