Photo by: (AP Photo/Bill Boyce)
For the third straight time and fourth in their past four games, the St. Louis Blues find a “L” after a 3-2 defeat to the Ottawa Senators in overtime.
Points leader for the Senators, Bobby Ryan capped of a productive night with two goals and an assist including the game-winning goal in overtime.
For the Blues, Kevin Shattenkirk and Troy Brouwer each tallied goals while Brian Elliott stopped 29 shots in his first start of the new year.
The Senators lost forward Mika Zibanejad to injury after a stick hit him in the face early in the first period. He did not return after the injury.
Following the loss, the Blues move to 23-14-5 for 51 points. St. Louis trails Dallas for the division lead by nine points and sits second in the Central Division.
In the first period, Troy Brouwer burst up the right side past Patrick Wiercioch. Brouwer outmatched Wiercioch and scored over Andrew Hammond to give St. Louis the lead 1-0 with under six minutes to play in the first period.
The goals kept coming for St. Louis in the second.
On the power play, Vladamir Tarasenko took a shot that deflected wide by was corralled by Alexander Steen. Steen fed Shattenkirk at the point who one-time a shot past Hammond to put the Blues up 2-0 with 12:18 left in the second period.
Despite coming into the game with the second best penalty kill percentage in the league, the Blues fell apart on the special teams.
Erik Karlsson passed over to Ryan on the top of the circle. Ryan passed across the zone to Mike Hoffman who took a slap shot that trickled past Elliott. The power play goal cut the lead in half with under two minutes left in the second period.
The power play goals kept coming for the Sens in the third period.
Off the attacking-zone face off, Bobby Ryan collected the draw and circled before sending a wrist shot in on net. There was a screen in front of Elliott as the shot beat him high over the glove to tie the game with 14:59 left in regulation.
The score remained tied heading into overtime as the Blues had the first great chance in the extra period.
Tarasenko split the defenders and appeared to be in all alone before an Ottawa player got his stick in near the hands area of Tarasenko as Tarasenko fell to the ice failing to get a shot off. The fans wanted a penalty, but the whistles stayed in the referees pockets, and the game continued.
Under two minutes later, Mark Stone was in a two-on-one as he passed to Ryan. Ryan hesitated before moving to his left on his back hand as he lifted the puck into the net, past the sprawling Elliott for the game-winning goal.
St. Louis will look to get back on track on the road against the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 9 p.m.
