Blues 4, Wild 1
ST. LOUIS -- Center Paul Stastny scored a goal and assisted on another in a three-goal second period that sent the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 win Saturday night over the slumping Minnesota Wild.
The loss was the fifth in a row for the Wild (0-4-1) and dropped them to 1-9-1 in their last 11 games.
The four goals for the Blues marked the first time they had scored more than twice in a game since Jan. 18. They had scored a combined five goals in their previous five games.
Three of the Blues goals came on the power-play, the first time they had done that this season. Two came in the second period and right winger Troy Brouwer added the third with his 11th goal of the year 2:38 into the third period.
Stastny's pass set up right winger Vladimir Tarasenko for the Blues' first goal 2:47 into the second period. The power-play goal came 32 seconds after center Mikko Koivu was called for elbowing Blues' left winger Scottie Upshall.
The goal was the 26th of the season for Tarasenko but only his second in the last 12 games.
Center Jori Lehtera increased the lead to 2-0 with another power-play goal at 9:19, just eight seconds after Minnesota defenseman Nate Prosser received a two-minute penalty for roughing Upshall. Lehtera scored off a rebound of a shot by left winger Robby Fabbri, the puck going in off his ankle.
The two power-play goals broke an 0-of-24 streak on the power play for the Blues dating back to Jan. 12. It was the first time the Wild had allowed two power-play goals in a game since Nov. 17.
Stastny capped the big period with his sixth goal of the year, unassisted at 16:51, by jamming the puck past goalie Devan Dubnyk.
The Wild got a power-play goal of their own to cut the lead to 3-1 with 1:46 left in the second period. Defenseman Matt Dumba beat goalie Brian Elliott after Fabbri received a minor penalty for high-sticking Dumba.
NOTES: Wild D Jonas Brodin is expected to miss three to six weeks because of a broken foot sustained in Thursday night's game. ... The Wild recalled C Tyler Graovac from Iowa of the AHL. ... Trying to shake up their lineup, the Wild scratched LW Jason Zucker and LW Thomas Vanek, each missing his first game of the season. ... After initially thinking LW Jaden Schwartz might play for the first time since Oct. 20 for the Blues (broken ankle), he remained out of the lineup. ... Blues RW Ryan Reaves was a healthy scratch for the fourth consecutive game. ... The Wild will host Dallas on Tuesday night while the Blues will stay at home to play Winnipeg.