Tarasenko scores in overtime as Blues beat Leafs
TORONTO -- Vladimir Tarasenko scored 20 seconds into overtime, and the St. Louis Blues defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 on Thursday night.
It was the 26th goal of the season for Tarasenko.
Patrik Berglund also scored for the Blues, who have won three games in a row.
Morgan Rielly scored for the Maple Leafs.
Frederik Andersen made 38 saves in the Toronto goal, while Blues goaltender Jake Allen stopped 31 shots.
Berglund scored his 14th goal of the season from the slot at 4:15 of the first period to give St. Louis a 1-0 lead.
Andersen made a superb save late in the first period on Colton Parayko, reaching up to pluck the puck out of the air despite being down on the ice.
The Blues (28-22-5) outshot the Maple Leafs 16-4 in the first period.
St. Louis was coming off shutouts in its two previous games. Carter Hutton was in goal for a 2-0 win over the Flyers at Philadelphia on Monday. Allen was the goaltender Tuesday in a 6-0 win over the Senators in Ottawa. The Blues entered the game without allowing a goal in 120 minutes and 18 seconds.
The Maple Leafs (25-17-11) tied the game at 18:56 of the second period on the second goal of the season by Rielly, who put in a rebound from the low slot. Nazem Kadri drove to the net and forced a save from Allen. William Nylander also was involved before Rielly pounced on the loose puck.
Blues center Paul Stastny left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury and did not return.
The Maple Leafs had their first power play of the game when Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was sent off for holding the stick at 8:03 of the third period.
Pietrangelo had a breakaway after leaving the penalty box but shot wide.
NOTES: Toronto G Curtis McElhinney made 39 stops in a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, but No. 1 G Frederik Andersen got the start Thursday. Andersen allowed 16 goals in his previous three starts, playing the entire game each time. He also allowed three goals on eight shots before being replaced by McElhinney on Jan. 31 in the 6-3 loss to Dallas. ... The Blues made one lineup change on Thursday with D Carl Gunnarsson, a former Maple Leafs player, replacing D Robert Bortuzzo. ... The Maple Leafs will play the third of four straight games at home on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. ... The Blues play their fourth game of five in a row on the road against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.