WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Tyler Bozak believes adding an overtime victory into a seven-game win streak injects some more confidence into the St. Louis Blues.
David Perron scored 3:14 into overtime and the Blues beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-4 on Friday night.
“We have to get better, but it does give us that confidence to keep playing well,” Bozak said of the Blues'league-high seven straight wins, which includes six in regulation time. “A lot of games have been tight games, so finding ways to win those is also huge.”
Perron took advantage of a giveaway by Winnipeg forward Mark Scheifele. He went in alone and beat Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck for his 16th goal of the season. He also had an assist.
“There's many things that come to my head there,” Perron said of his breakaway plans. “Maybe a shot five-hole, maybe just a regular shot a little bit further out, and then I tend to go on the backhand a little bit and try and freeze him and go in the back and it worked out.”
Bozak scored twice, Alex Pietrangelo had a goal and assist and Justin Faulk also scored for the Blues (25-8-6). Jaden Schwartz contributed three assists and Brayden Schenn added a pair of assists.
Jordan Binnington stopped 25 shots for St. Louis.
Kyle Connor scored twice and Gabriel Bourque and Blake Wheeler added goals for the Jets (21-14-3). Patrik Laine collected a pair of assists.
Hellebuyck made 30 saves for Winnipeg, which has lost four of five (1-3-1).
“We were never out of it. We kept fighting back. It was a good battle,” Connor said. “ ... I think we can learn some stuff from that going into the next game.”
With Hellebuyck pulled for an extra attacker, Wheeler tied the game 4-4 with 1:14 remaining in the third period after Nikolaj Ehlers sent a pass from behind the net out front.
“Just one of those games,” Wheeler said. “Good job by everyone staying in it. I thought we had a lot of real good players tonight. Came up short.”
The game was tied 1-1 after the first period and the Blues led 3-2 after two.
Faulk scored on his team's first shot of the game, sending a point shot past Hellebuyck at 1:10.
Bourque tied it with 46 seconds remaining in the first, scoring off a long rebound on a shot from the middle of the left circle.
Winnipeg outshot the Blues 12-5 in the opening period.
Pietrangelo broke the tie at 5:30 of the second, but Connor made it 2-2 at 9:37 when he scored over Binnington's left shoulder from close range.
St. Louis regained the lead when Bozak scored a power-play goal at 16:08.
Connor made it 3-3 on the power play at 3:12 of the third when he tapped in a loose puck in the crease after Scheifele hit the post. He and Scheifele share the team lead in goals with 17.
Bozak scored his second of the game on a shot into the top corner past Hellebuyck at 5:10.
Pietrangelo picked up an assist, giving him 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his last nine games.
“We've got to be better defensively,” Blue coach Craig Berube said. “I thought that some of the (Winnipeg) goals were just breakdowns that we normally don't do, and we can be better. Again, they're a good team and we're going to be challenged on Sunday.”
NOTES: The Blues' Perron and Schwartz extended their point streaks to five games each. Schwartz has two goals and seven assists in that span, while Perron has four goals and four assists.
UP NEXT
Blues: Host Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.
Jets: At St. Louis Blues on Sunday.
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