Maple Leafs 4, Blues 1
ST. LOUIS -- Center Nazem Kadri scored two goals and right wing Brad Boyes and defenseman Roman Polak combined to burn their former team Saturday night and lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues.
The Maple Leafs ended a long drought against the Blues with their first regulation win in 10 games, a streak that dated back to Feb. 6, 2007.
A goal by Boyes, the first of his career in seven games against the Blues, gave him at least one goal against every team in the NHL. Polak earned two assists as the Maple Leafs took a 3-1 lead after the second period.
Kadri's second goal of the night came on a 2-on-1 break 6:47 into the third period to make it a 4-1 lead for Toronto.
The Blues took a quick 1-0 lead 1:51 into the game when right wing Vladimir Tarasenko converted a 2-on-1 break with center Paul Stastny, beating goalie Garret Sparks.
The Maple Leafs came back to tie the game with 1:17 left in the opening period. Center Nazem Kadri knocked a rebound of a shot by right wing Leo Komarov past goalie Jake Allen.
Polak, traded by the Blues to Toronto for defenseman Carl Gunnarsson before the 2014-15 season, and Boyes, who played for the Blues from 2006 to 2010, combined to break the tie 6:11 into the second period. Polak's shot from the point was deflected by Boyes into the net for his second goal of the season.
Polak also earned an assist on Kadri's goal. It was the eighth two-point game of his career and first since Nov. 20, 2014.
Right wing Pierre-Alexander Parenteau increased the Toronto lead to 3-1 when he scored on a delayed penalty at 8:57 of the second period.
The Blues did not test Sparks very often after the early goal by Tarasenko, getting only two shots on goal in the second period.
Blues left wing Steve Ott suffered a lower-body injury late in the first period and had to leave the game. He appeared to hit awkwardly against the boards near the Blues bench after failing to make a check.
NOTES: Toronto G James Reimer will miss at least two games after aggravating a lower-body injury Thursday night. The Maple Leafs will go with youngsters Garret Sparks and Antoine Bibeau in his absence. Sparks had two games of NHL experience before Saturday while Bibeau is waiting to make his NHL debut. ... The Blues thought rookie D Colton Parayko had suffered a serious leg injury Friday against the Islanders, but it turned out he was able to return a few minutes later and was in the lineup again Saturday. ... The Blues scratched RW Dmitij Jaskin for the third time in the last four games. ... Saturday night's game began a five-game homestand for the Blues, who host Arizona on Tuesday night. ... The Maple Leafs host New Jersey the same night.