Music: {allcanada} Blues use fast start to defeat Oilers, win 5th straight

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

{allcanada} Blues use fast start to defeat Oilers, win 5th straight

ST. LOUIS -- Vladimir Tarasenko and David Backes scored first-period goals, with Jori Lehtera assisting on each, starting the St. Louis Blues to a 4-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Scottrade Center on Tuesday.

St. Louis (27-13-3) won its fifth straight; it's outscored the opposition 28-10 in that stretch.

Tarasenko and Backes each had an assist, Barret Jackman had two assists, and Jaden Schwartz and Alexander Steen scored for the Blues. Coach Ken Hitchcock won his 684th NHL game to tie Pat Quinn for fifth on the all-time list.

Jake Allen made 13 saves.

The Oilers (10-25-9), who have the fewest wins on the road this season (two), have lost 13 straight away from Rexall Place (0-7-6). They got two goals from Benoit Pouliot, and Ben Scrivens made 25 saves.

The Blues scored twice in the first period on back-to-back shots.

Tarasenko's Blues-leading 24th goal this season, and fourth goal in the past five games against Edmonton, put St. Louis up 1-0. His wrist shot from the left circle trickled past Scrivens at the near post at 13:49.

Backes' 13th point (seventh goal) in the past nine games made it 2-0 on a redirection of Lehtera's feed in the slot at 16:41.

Schwartz made it 3-0 with a redirection of Jackman's slap-pass from the left point 5:30 into the second period. Schwartz deflected the puck past Scrivens from the left circle to give him four goals and eight points in five games since returning from a broken foot.

Pouliot ended Allen's shutout with a power-play goal 8:37 into the third period on a tip of Justin Schultz's wrist shot.

Steen's 400th NHL point gave the Blues a 4-1 lead. Backes won a faceoff, and Steen's slap shot beat Scrivens high stick side with 3:34 remaining. Steen extended his point streak to seven games (five goals, eight assists).

Pouliot's second of the game, a wrist shot from the high slot with 1:56 remaining, made it 4-2.