Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice to power the St. Louis Blues past the visiting Dallas Stars 4-1 Friday night and give coach Craig Berube a nice 56th birthday present.
Ivan Barbashev had a goal and an assist and Logan Brown also scored for the Blues, who extended their unbeaten streak at home to nine games (8-0-1).
Pavel Buchnevich had two assists for the Blues, who swept their home-and-home series with the Stars this week. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 26 saves to earn the victory.
Lindgren, who has been filling in for Jordan Binnington (COVID-19 protocol) and Ville Husso (lower-body injury), became the second goaltender to start his Blues career 5-0-0.
Jason Robertson scored and goaltender Braden Holtby made 30 saves for the Stars, who suffered their fifth straight loss.
The Blues broke the scoreless tie at 3:35 of the second period when Colton Parayko took a pass from Ryan O'Reilly and pounded a slap shot on goal from above the right circle. Brown gathered in the rebound to beat Holtby with a one-on-one move at the right post.
Tarasenko pushed the Blues' lead to 2-0 with just 11 seconds left in the second period.
Barbashev brought the puck from behind the Dallas net for a jam-in attempt that didn't go. Buchnevich took a whack at the puck, but it bounced away from the net. Tarasenko managed to corral it and fire a turnaround shot through Holbty.
Buchenvich got a shorthanded breakaway 6:16 into the third period, then a penalty shot after getting hooked on that play -- but Holtby stopped both attempts to keep the Stars within reach.
Robertson cut the Dallas deficit to 2-1. John Klingberg fired a shot from the right point through traffic and the rebound went to Robertson for the weak-side conversion.
But Tarasenko's power-play goal from the right circle with 4:23 left restored the two-goal Blues advantage and Barbashev's empty-net goal iced the game.
Tarasenko has four goals and five assists in his last six games.
--Field Level Media
Dallas | St. Louis | |
Jason Robertson 1 | Points | Vladimir Tarasenko 2 |
Jason Robertson 1 | Goals | Vladimir Tarasenko 2 |
John Klingberg 1 | Assists | Pavel Buchnevich 2 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | Vladimir Tarasenko 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Braden Holtby .909 | Save Percentage | Charlie Lindgren .963 |
Braden Holtby 30 | Saves | Charlie Lindgren 26 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Dallas | 27 | 1 | 0-3 | 1-2 | 4 | 32 |
St. Louis | 34 | 4 | 1-2 | 3-3 | 6 | 29 |