Vincent Tarasenko’s three-point game powers Blues past Canucks

Vladimir Tarasenko had two objectives and an help, main the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday evening.

Tarasenko has 23 objectives this season, and the three-point sport gave him 500 factors in his NHL profession.

“It’s an important accomplishment. He’s been an excellent participant for fairly some time. He’s persevering with to be a great participant. He’s really a extra well-rounded participant than after I first bought right here, seeing him now,” Blues coach Craig Berube mentioned. “He was excellent tonight. He’s a frontrunner of this workforce; he’s gained right here.”

David Perron and Marco Scandella additionally scored for the Blues, who had misplaced of three of 4. Robert Thomas had two assists.

Ville Husso rebounded after permitting 5 objectives Saturday and recorded 35 saves. He’s 8-3-3 in his final 14 begins.

“It’s at all times, like I mentioned, it’s good to get a win,” Husso mentioned. “I don’t care if I let 4 objectives and we nonetheless win, it’s an enormous factor. And yeah, it was good to get a win at the moment.”

Brad Hunt scored for Vancouver. Former Blues objective Jaroslav Halak had 25 saves.

It was the primary of a home-and-home set towards the Canucks. The groups play in Vancouver on Wednesday.

St. Louis, outscored 12-4 in its final two video games, jumped out to a 2-0 lead within the first interval.

“I don’t suppose we had been excellent tonight.” Vancouver coach Bruce Boudreau mentioned. “We didn’t have sufficient guys play with a way of urgency that you simply want at the moment of the season. I simply didn’t suppose we had been in it tonight in any respect.”

The Blues struck first when Scandella scored his second objective of the season at 6:37 of the opening interval. Tarasenko’s shot went over Halak. Standing in entrance of the web, Scandella alertly pushed the puck in for the objective.

It was the primary time in six video games that the Blues scored first in a sport.

The Blues transformed on a 2-on-1 break to go up 2-0 at 14:02. Ivan Barbashev picked the puck from Conor Garland and handed to Perron. From the suitable circle, Perron’s wrist shot went excessive and beat Halak, who confronted his former teammates for simply the fourth time in his 16-year profession. He’s 0-3-1 towards St. Louis.

Perron has 14 objectives in his final 13 video games. Perron had an eight-game level streak (10 objectives, 4 assists) snapped Saturday towards the Hurricanes. He has posted 22 factors over his final 16 video games (14 objectives, 8 assists).

“I’m not blaming Jaro for something. I believe he stored us within the sport,” Boudreau mentioned. “Look, the primary objective, I imply, what are you going to do. The man is within the crease and it hits his pants and goes in. On the second objective, I do know Perron has a 2-on-1 and it’s high shelf. He’s bought an important shot. I do know, I coached him.”

Tarasenko’s objective got here simply 49 seconds into the third interval. Tarasenko was robbed by Halak on his first shot. The puck got here again to him and he knocked in his rebound.

“I set the tone there within the third with a missed task,” J.T. Miller mentioned. “We bought off on the flawed foot there initially of the third interval. I really had a great play earlier than that. A superb stick on him. I simply puck watched for one second. I knew he was over there. I actually do. I used to be simply being cussed. All it takes is one second with good gamers. You watch the puck somewhat too lengthy after which it’s at the back of the web.”

The Canucks lower the result in 3-1 on a objective by Hunt at 2:13. It was Hunt’s third objective this season.

Halak was pulled with 3:17 to play. Tarasenko scored an empty-net objective at 17:47.

BLUES TRADE

St. Louis acquired D Brady Lyle from the Boston Bruins in trade for future concerns on Monday. Lyle will report back to the Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. The 6-foot-1, 211-pound Lyle, 22, has wearing 48 video games for the AHL’s Windfall Bruins this season, recording 9 factors (two objectives, seven assists) and 10 penalty minutes.

BLUES SIGNING

The Blues have signed D Matt Kessel to a two-year, entry-level contract that can start with the 2022-23 season. Kessel, who was drafted by the Blues within the fifth spherical (a hundred and fiftieth total) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, will report back to the Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, on a tryout and might be a member of the Thunderbirds for the rest of the season. The 6-foot-3, 201-pound Kessel, 21, has spent the previous three seasons at UMass-Amherst.

ICE CHIPS

A loud cheer erupted within the first interval when the videoboard flashed the picture of Albert Pujols with the phrases: Welcome Residence Albert. Earlier Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals introduced the signing of Pujols to a one-year deal. … Going again to Oct. 16, 2015, the Blues are 12-3-2 of their final 17 video games towards Vancouver. The Blues are 6-1-1 of their final eight video games towards the Canucks at Enterprise Heart. … 4 of the Blues’ subsequent 5 video games will come towards Pacific Division opponents. St. Louis is 11-3-2 towards Pacific groups this season.

INJURIES

Canucks: Matthew Highmore (higher physique), Nils Hoglander (decrease physique), Jason Dickinson (decrease physique), Kyle Burroughs (higher physique), Tucker Poolman (head).

Blues: F Tyler Bozak (lower-body harm), D Torey Krug (higher physique harm).

UP NEXT

Vancouver: Hosts St. Louis on Wednesday evening.

St. Louis: At Vancouver on Wednesday evening.