Joel Hofer was pulled for the second straight start for the Blues (3-3-1) after allowing three goals on six shots in the first 7:57. Jordan Binnington made 15 saves in relief.
“Didn’t start on time,” St. Louis forward Pavel Buchnevich said. “They kind of get bounces all around. First goal, five-hole. Third goal, we didn’t get puck out. They get big bounce, shot, in the slot goal. We just have to start on time and play full 60 minutes like we play against Dallas [a 3-1 win on Oct. 18] and stick with each other and play for each other, get out of the slumps together.”
Ian Cole scored from the slot through Hofer off a drop pass from Peterka that made it 1-0 at 3:18 of the first.
Cooley made it 2-0 at 6:07 on a one-timer from the high slot. He made it 3-0 at 7:57 on a backhand break-in that sent Hofer out of the game. Cooley’s power-play goal at 10:55, a tap-in at the side of the net, made it 4-0.
“He’s really strong physically,” Tourigny said of Cooley. “He’s really strong in his battle. His balance is really, really good. And, like I said, his competitiveness, I think, helped him a lot in that sense.”
St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery had a word with Hofer, who has allowed 10 goals on 28 shots (10.28 goals-against average and .643 save percentage) his past two starts.
“Just that he’s a really talented, young goaltender and we’re going to work out of this,” Montgomery said. “Just like our team didn’t play well, didn’t have a good start tonight. He’s someone that we believe in. He’s an extremely talented athlete and he’s really tough-minded. I just let him know that we believe in him and that it’s going to turn around.”
Pius Suter finished a rebound in front at 5:58 of the second period to make it 4-1, and Buchnevich’s first goal of the season, a rebound goal on the power play, made it 4-2 at 7:13.
Keller put Utah up 5-2 at 19:24, racing in alone after getting behind Suter and whipping a shot from the left circle past Binnington.