Blues 4, Islanders 3 (SO)
Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk scored the decisive goal in the third round of the shootout to lift visiting St. Louis to a controversial victory over New York.
Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and T.J. Oshie tied it with 26.7 seconds in regulation for the Blues, who improved to 16-3-1 versus the Eastern Conference after Thomas Vanek's apparent game-winning goal at 3:45 of overtime was overruled upon video replay due to a distinct kicking motion. Jaroslav Halak made 33 saves and Alexander Steen scored in the shootout and added a pair of assists for St. Louis.
Vanek and Kyle Okposo each had a goal and an assist and Matt Martin also scored for the Islanders, who blew a 2-0 lead for the second straight game to fall to 10-4-1 in their last 15. Kevin Poulin turned aside 32 shots.
New York snapped a 2-2 deadlock just before the four-minute mark of the second period when Colin McDonald steered a pass from Casey Cizikas to Martin, who slid a shot through the pads of Halak. The Blues drew even with the clock winding down in regulation when Oshie's wrist shot through a screen beat Poulin.
Vanek and Okposo connected in the opening period to give New York a 2-0 lead, but Tarasenko cut the deficit to 2-1 with 2:43 left in the period, whipping a high wrister that sailed past Poulin glove side. Tarasenko tied it 77 seconds into the second period with a wrister to the far corner from the high slot.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Shattenkirk improved to 4-for-10 in shootouts for his career - with all four game-winners. ... Okposo's goal and assist gave him a career-high 54 points, eclipsing his previous best of 52 set in 2009-10 and extending his point streak to five games. ... Tarasenko tied team captain David Backes for second on the team with 17 goals and made St. Louis the first team in the league to have eight players with at least 30 points this season. ... Islanders captain John Tavares assisted on Vanek's goal to boost his point streak to six games.