Blues continue dominance over Devils
NEWARK, N.J. -- Much has changed for the better this season for the New Jersey Devils, but one thing that has not is their inability to defeat the St. Louis Blues.
Vladimir Tarasenko and Brayden Schenn had a goal and two assists apiece, Jaden Schwartz scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and Jake Allen made 21 saves as the Blues beat the Devils for the eighth consecutive time 3-1 Tuesday night at the Prudential Center.
Allen, who surrendered only Blake Coleman's first-period goal, is undefeated in six career starts against New Jersey, allowing seven goals total. Schwartz has at least one point in all seven games against the Devils in his career and Tarasenko has nine points (two goals) in his last three games against New Jersey.
The Western Conference-leading Blues (12-3-1) won for the sixth time in their last seven games overall, while the Devils (9-4-1) are winless in their last three, with a pair of regulation losses sandwiching a shootout defeat.
The Devils, back home following a three-game trip to western Canada, opened the scoring 3:35 into play when Coleman buried a rebound for his second goal of the season. Brian Boyle, who signed with the Devils as a free agent in July and then was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia during training camp, assisted on the goal, earning his first point in four games with his new team.
Tarasenko tied it up with his eighth goal at 18:57 of the second period, and Schwartz converted Brayden Schenn's slick power-play feed for his ninth goal 32 seconds into the third period to make it 2-1 Blues.
Schenn assisted on both St. Louis' first two goals and has six assists in his last two games. He scored into an empty net with less than a minute to play in regulation to close out the scoring.
Devils goalie Cory Schneider was sharp in a losing effort, finishing with 37 saves.
NOTES: Blues C Robby Fabbri underwent successful left knee surgery Tuesday and is out indefinitely. Fabbri, who also had surgery on the same knee last year, tore his ACL during training camp and did not appear in a single game this season. ... The Blues healthy scratches were RW Beau Bennett and D Nate Prosser. ... Devils RW Kyle Palmieri (lower body) missed his sixth consecutive game, though coach John Hynes said he could return to practice as early as Wednesday. ... The Devils made D Damon Severson a healthy scratch for the first time this season. ... LW Marcus Johansson (concussion) and D Dalton Prout were the Devils other scratches.