Blues beat Maple Leafs 5-1 in first meeting against former coach Craig Berube since his firing

TORONTO (AP) — Jordan Binnington made 40 saves, Dylan Holloway scored twice and St. Louis beat Toronto 5-1 on Thursday night, spoiling Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube's first game against the Blues since they fired him in December.

Berube led St. Louis to the franchise’s only Stanley Cup in 2019.

Philip Broberg, Alexandre Texier and Jake Neighbours also scored to help St. Louis improve to 5-3-0. Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich each had two assists.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for Toronto, and Joseph Woll stopped 22 in his first start of the season after coming off injured reserve from a groin problem earlier in the day. The Maple Leafs fell to 4-4-0.

The Blues opened the scoring on their third shot when Broberg fired a puck through traffic. Holloway doubled the advantage on a power play.

Ekman-Larsson got the Maple Leafs on the board in the second with his first goal for Toronto, but Texier made it 3-1 before the period was out.

Blues: St. Louis played its first game without center Robert Thomas after he broke an ankle Tuesday night in a loss to Winnipeg. He's expected to miss at least six weeks.

Maple Leafs: Toronto got a number of big stops from Woll. Anthony Stolarz was outstanding in his absence, going 3-2-0 with a .938 save percentage and 1.83 GAA.

Toronto’s power play had an opportunity to get the team within one while down 3-1 in the second, but again failed to score to drop to 0 for 3 on the night — and 3 for 26 on the season. The Maple Leafs had another fruitless man advantage in the third.

Broberg, who was plucked by the Blues from Edmonton in August along with forward Dylan Holloway when the pair signed offer sheets the same day, has seven points in eight games.

Toronto opens a two-game trip Saturday night at Boston. St. Louis is at Montreal on Saturday night in the second of game of its trip.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk (72) checks Toronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz (18) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies (23) tries to get around St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) stops Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins (25) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk (72) checks Toronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz (18) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, center right top, stands on the bench during third-period NHL hockey game action against the St. Louis Blues in Toronto, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, center top, stands on the bench during third-period NHL hockey game action against the St. Louis Blues in Toronto, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues forward Radek Faksa (12) and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) battle for the puck during third-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich (89) watches the puck pass Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Left-hander Alex Vesia and shortstop Miguel Rojas could be added to the Los Angeles Dodgers' roster for the World Series while left-hander Nestor Cortes appeared set to be activated by the New York Yankees for Friday's opener.

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman will be in the starting lineup after missing Games 4 and 6 of the NL Championship Series with a sprained right ankle.

“I can’t tell you I feel way better than I did six days ago,” Freeman said Thursday. “Playing in cleats and running, that’s a whole different story. It’s a sprained ankle. I’ve never dealt with one. They always say the first one is the worst.”

Vesia was left off the NL Championship Series roster after suffering an intercostal injury while warming up for NL Division Series Game 5 against San Diego on Oct. 11.

Rojas hasn't played since Game 3 versus the Padres on Oct. 8 due to an adductor injury.

Right-hander Brusdar Graterol, sidelined since Sept. 24 by inflammation in his pitching shoulder, also hopes to return.

“Everybody is trending in the right direction,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday. “We’re going to have some more difficult conversations, which I think is a good thing. I think Alex threw 15 pitches yesterday in a sim game, and the stuff looked good. Then Graterol has been throwing. I think he’s trending in the right direction. So I think that on the pitching side, we’re in a pretty good spot right now.”

Graterol pitched three scoreless outings in the 2020 World Series against Tampa Bay. He was limited to seven regular-season appearances this season.

Los Angeles intends to stay with 13 pitchers and 13 position players. Roberts said Graterol's month of inactivity will be considered.

“It’s part of the math. I think the other part is his track record in the postseason, how good he’s been, how good the heartbeat’s been,” Roberts said. “We believe in the person, the stuff.”

Roberts was pleased with Rojas' progress.

“Yesterday he participated in the entire workout: running well, taking at-bats, catching grounders. Everything looks really good,” the manager said. “So I think there’s a really good possibility we’ll see him on the roster.”

Cortes hasn't pitched in a game since Sept. 18 because of a flexor strain in his pitching elbow. He threw two innings of batting practice at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone may pick 13 pitchers for his 26-man roster.

“I still want to get through today with Nestor and see where we’re at,” he said.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

FILE - New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes throws during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Miguel Rojas warms up during practice in preparation for Game 6 in a baseball NL Championship Series against the New York Mets, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia celebrates after striking out San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill during the seventh inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)