Perron scores in overtime, Blues beat Stars 3-2 (Dec 20, 2016)
DALLAS (AP) David Perron took advantage of one of St. Louis' rare opportunities on Tuesday night, and got the Blues a big win.
Perron put in a wraparound goal at 1:55 of overtime, lifting the Blues to a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night.
On a delayed penalty, Jaden Schwartz left the puck to Perron to the left of the net, skated behind it and scored from the right side before Dallas goalie Antti Niemi could recover.
''(Schwartz) really battled his butt off to get the puck loose,'' Perron said. ''I'm glad he realized I was behind him, too, I kind of got around Niemi there and I'm thinking I might be able to wrap it short side, and then to leave and go to the other side - it was a little bit risky.''
St. Louis' Patrik Berglund had tied the game 2-2 with 31 seconds left in the second period as he shot from the slot through a tight group of Niemi, defenseman Johnny Oduya and Perron. Dallas challenged the goal, claiming goaltender interference, but it was upheld.
''He's just battling,'' Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. ''This is the best (Berglund has) played all year, but he's really got a bead on his game right now.''
Schwartz scored in the first period for the Blues and Jake Allen had 36 saves.
Dallas' Jason Spezza scored for a 2-1 lead less than a minute before Berglund tied the game, and assisted on Patrick Eaves' power-play goal in the first period.
Niemi finished with 19 saves.
The Blues were playing on back-to-back nights, coming off an overtime loss at home to Edmonton on Monday that left them 1-3-1 in their previous five games.
''I thought for the game we had yesterday and the emotional content that we've gone through, this is an impressive win,'' Hitchcock said.
St. Louis improved to 5-5 in overtime. The Stars dropped to 1-7 this season, and 4-14 since Dec. 4 of last year.
''(If) you're scoring in overtime, you're confident, you believe a little bit more,'' Dallas defenseman Dan Hamhuis said. ''You don't want to say it, but it certainly affects guys out there when we haven't had a great record so far.''
In the closing minutes of regulation, Oduya hit the crossbar and the Blues' Jori Lehtera put a rebound into the side of the net.
''We hit a couple of posts and a crossbar, obviously had the better chances,'' Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. ''Just besides the one play at the side of the net in the third period, we hadn't given up much. We let them hang around, and it hurt us.''
The Blues killed the first penalty in a double-minor for high-sticking to Vladimir Tarasenko, but Eaves scored 16 seconds into the second at 7:04 of the first period. Spezza led Eaves with an easy pass into the right faceoff circle. He drilled a shot past a screen by Tyler Seguin and off Allen into the lower right corner.
Later in the first, Paul Stastny shot from the slot. The rebound went to Schwartz, who beat Oduya to the puck on the left side at 11:15.
Neither team scored in the second until Dallas' Spezza put in the rebound of Jiri Hudler's shot at with 1:24 remaining.
St. Louis tied the game with 31 seconds to go. Berglund shot from the slot through a tight group of Niemi, Oduya and the Blues' Perron. Dallas challenged the goal, claiming goaltender interference, but it was upheld.
NOTES: The Blues had killed all 14 penalties in their previous six games. Dallas, 1 for 16 in the previous five games, went 1 for 3. ... Spezza has four goals and two assists in his last four games vs. St. Louis. ... Stastny has a goal and five assists in his last three games in Dallas. ... Perron has had a minor penalty in six straight games. ... Dallas LW Curtis McKenzie and Blues D Joel Edmundson received major penalties for fighting along the St. Louis blue line at 5:06 of the third period. ... Stars C Cody Eakin sat out the second game of his four-game suspension for charging Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist. ... Dallas had been 1-8-3 overall and 0-4-1 at home this season in games following a victory.
UP NEXT
Blues: At Tampa Bay on Thursday night in the finale of a two-game trip. Tarasenko had a hat trick in a 5-4 win over the Lightning on Dec. 1.
Stars: Host Los Angeles on Friday night to finish a five-game homestand.
