Wild drop opener to Blues

ST. LOUIS - Right winger Nail Yakupov scored one goal and assisted on another to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 win Thursday night over the Minnesota Wild in their home opener.
The Blues outshot the Wild 31-20 in opening the season with consecutive wins for the first time since they went 4-0 to begin the 2013-14 season.
After putting the Blues ahead 2-1 with his first goal of the season midway through the second period, Yakupov - the first overall pick in the 2012 draft - set up a goal by left winger Magnus Paajarvi 4:25 into the third period to make it a two-goal game. He set up Paajarvi’s goal by making a slick cross-ice pass through the low slow.
Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle scored for Minnesota in the coaching debut of Bruce Boudreau.
Coyle pulled the Wild within 3-2 off a pass from left Zucker at 12:49 of the third period, but they could not come up with the tying goal.
After allowing just 19 shots on goal in a 5-2 win over the Blackhawks on Wednesday night in Chicago, the Blues outshot the Wild 14-2 in the opening period. They took a 1-0 lead on Alexander Steen’s first goal of the season at 10:51.
One of the two Minnesota shots was a shorthanded breakaway by Zucker, but his shot was turned away by goalie Jake Allen, who finished with 19 saves.
The Wild tied the game 3:03 into the second period following a Blues’ turnover. Allen stopped the initial shot by defenseman Ryan Suter, but Suter was able to get his own rebound and knocked it into the net.
Yakupov, snapped the tie on a blast from the left circle which went through the glove of goalie Devan Dubnyk at 12:36 of the second period. Dubnyk finished with 28 saves.