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