Mason McTavish scores in Blues debut as St. Louis shuts out Dallas 4-0.
DALLAS — Mason McTavish made an immediate impact in his St. Louis Blues debut, scoring 94 seconds into the game as the Blues opened the season with a 4-0 victory over the Dallas Stars on Friday night. McTavish's early goal gave St. Louis a lead it never surrendered. The 21-year-old forward was acquired by the Blues from the Anaheim Ducks during June's draft in exchange for two first-round picks, Nos. 15 and 29. Dalibor Dvorsky added a goal in the second period to extend St. Louis' advantage. Jimmy Snuggerud and Pius Suter then scored empty-net goals during the final 2½ minutes to complete the shutout. Joel Hofer stopped all 25 shots he faced to record the ninth shutout of his career. Hofer had six shutouts in 43 starts for St. Louis last season. Dvorsky's goal came after Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger went down following contact with teammate Roope Hintz, leaving the net open for the Blues forward. Oettinger finished with 20 saves. The loss ended Dallas' six-game winning streak in season openers, with the Stars suffering their first opening-night defeat since 2019. It was also the first time Dallas was shut out in a home opener since the franchise moved to Dallas ahead of the 1993-94 season. The game also featured injuries and penalties involving both teams. St. Louis defenseman Brandon Carlo received a game misconduct early in the third period for a kneeing penalty involving Hintz. Hintz, playing in his first game since March 6, was helped from the ice while favoring his left knee but returned several minutes later.
Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko left the game early in the second period after taking a hit behind the St. Louis net from Lian Bichsel and Tyler Seguin. Toropchenko appeared to be dealing with a right shoulder injury. McTavish's goal was the fifth-fastest goal to open a season in Blues franchise history.
Up next
Both teams return to action Saturday. St. Louis visits the Colorado Avalanche, while Dallas travels to Nashville to face the Predators.
