Blues 6, Maple Leafs 1
Jaden Schwartz, T.J. Oshie and Vladimir Tarasenko each recorded a goal and an assist as visiting St. Louis halted its two-game skid.
Defenseman Chris Butler, Paul Stastny and captain David Backes also tallied for the Blues, who completed a 3-1-1 road trip. Alex Steen and Jori Lehtera collected three assists apiece and Brian Elliott made 23 saves as St. Louis climbed within two points of first-place Nashville in the Central Division while earning Ken Hitchcock his 698th career coaching victory.
David Booth scored the lone goal for the Maple Leafs, who were outscored 9-1 in the two-game season series. Jonathan Bernier allowed three goals on 17 shots in one period before being relieved by James Reimer, who finished with 24 saves.
Schwartz opened the scoring with 5:11 remaining in the first period with a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that sneaked inside the left post and Oshie doubled the lead less than two minutes later by shoveling a backhander past Bernier from in front. Tarasenko made it 3-0 with 15 seconds left in the session, beating the netminder to the stick side from the top of the right circle.
Butler blasted a shot from the right point past Reimer's glove at 11:07 of the second for a short-handed goal and Stastny continued the rout 2:29 later with a shot from the high slot during a power play. Booth spoiled Elliott's shutout bid three minutes into the third with a redirection, but Backes restored the five-goal advantage midway through the period as his pass attempt from the top of the right circle caromed off a defender's skate and past an unsuspecting Reimer.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Blues D Jay Bouwmeester was a late scratch due to an illness. ... Oshie's goal was his 300th career point. ... St. Louis improved to 9-0-2 in its last 11 visits to Toronto. ... Booth has scored in back-to-back games after going 31 contests without a goal. ... Veteran C Olli Jokinen made his debut with the Blues, registering one shot while losing 8-of-10 faceoffs over 10:29 of ice time in his first game with the 10th team of his career.