Photo by: (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
It has been a long time coming for Paul Stastny as he has missed 18 games due to injury.
But, he looks as healthy as ever after a four-point performance with one goal and three assists as the St. Louis Blues defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2.
The Blues scored four unanswered goals after going down 2-1 midway through the second period.
In net, Brian Elliott turned aside 36 of 38 shots faced to earn the win and the third star.
With the victory, the Blues improve to 27-15-7 with 61 points and sit two points behind the Chicago Blackhawks for second place in the division.
The Blues got out to a good start thanks to Alexander Steen midway through the first period.
Troy Brouwer muscled his way into the zone through two defenders as the puck skipped toward the slot. Both Brouwer and Jeff Zatkoff collided going after the puck. The puck bounced around before Steen found the puck and put it in the back of the net. The goal put St. Louis out in front 1-0 with eight minutes left in the first period.
The game tilted to Pittsburgh’s side as the Penguins notched two goals to take a 2-1 lead.
But, St. Louis roared back thanks to the play of Vladamir Tarasenko and Paul Stastny.
Tarasenko collected the pass from Joel Edmundson into the attacking zone. Tarasenko shifted his back to the defender and shielded the puck around before lifting it high, blocker side past Zatkoff to tie the game at two with under three minutes left in the third period.
The third period was all St. Louis as it kept the momentum going early.
Colton Parayko wheeled and passed to Stastny as he tried to make a play at the puck. The puck deflected off Stastny’s blade and a defender’s into the air as Brouwer swatted it into the back of the net for his ninth goal of the season.
St. Louis didn’t look back as midway through the final period, Stastny entered the zone and passed to Brouwer. Brouwer dropped to Stastny before he ripped it past Zatkoff to make it 4-2.
Kevin Shattenkirk added an empty-net goal in the final seconds of the game to seal the win as the Blues earned their second straight win.
Next up for St. Louis will be a matchup on the road against the Detroit Red Wings. The game marks the first of a four-game road trip and is set for Wednesday, Jan. 20.
