Tarasenko's two goals propel Blues to fourth straight win
ST. LOUIS -- Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and Alexander Steen had a goal and an assist as the St. Louis Blues beat the New York Islanders 4-3 on Saturday night.
Patrik Berglund also scored and Jaden Schwartz had two assists as the Blues won their fourth straight game. Carter Hutton made 21 saves.
Brock Nelson, Anthony Beauvillier and Nick Leddy scored for the Islanders and Thomas Greiss made 20 saves.
Beauvillier cut the Blues' lead to 4-2 at 2:11 of the third period after his slap shot went off Hutton's glove.
Leddy's power play goal with 1:29 left sliced the Islanders' deficit to 4-3.
Tarasenko gave the Blues a 1-0 lead with a power play goal at 7:23 of the first period. Schwartz set it up with a nifty no-look, behind-the-back pass to Tarasenko.
Andrew Ladd appeared to tie the score four minutes later with a power play goal, but the Blues successfully used their coach's challenge and the play was ruled offside.
Stein made it 2-0 off a lucky bounce at 4:58 in the second period. Tarasenko's pass was intended for Schwartz, but it deflected off Islanders center Anders Lee right onto Stein's stick.
Nelson scored his second goal in as many games, getting the Islanders on the board with 8:23 left in the second period. Scott Mayfield, a St. Louis native playing his first NHL game in his hometown, got an assist.
Tarasenko got the goal back four minutes later with a wrister from above the right circle. Tarasenko's 32nd goal of the season made it 3-1 Blues and was his fourth goal in the past three games.
Berglund extended the Blues' lead to 4-1 late in the second period with a pretty backhand-forehand combination after David Perron found him alone in front of the net.
NOTES: Blues F Robby Fabbri underwent surgery on Feb. 27 to repair a torn ACL. ... Blues F Ivan Barbashev replaced Jori Lehtera, D Jordan Schmaltz replaced Colton Parayko and F Nail Yakupov replaced Paul Stastny (illness) in the lineup. Lehtera was hit in the face by a puck and Parayko left with an undisclosed injury during Friday night's game. ... D Scott Mayfield, a healthy scratch for the Islanders the last two games, replaced D Adam Pelech in the lineup. ... Blues F Zach Sanford was a healthy scratch. ... The Islanders also scratched C Alan Quine, C Shane Prince and D Johnny Boychuk. ... The Islanders host Carolina on Monday. The Blues travel to Los Angeles on Monday.