Pro Sports

Tarasenko's hat trick leads Blues over Lightning

Posted December 01, 2016 6:00 am

By STEVE OVERBEY

Tampa Bay Lightning's Cedric Paquette (13) is congratulated by Jason Garrison after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Vladimir Tarasenko scored three goals and Kevin Shattenkirk added two to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.

The Blues have won three in a row and six straight at home.

Tampa Bay lost its season-high fourth consecutive game.

Jake Allen made 22 saves in improving to 12-3-3.

Tarasenko, who leads the team with 13 goals, recorded his fourth career hat trick. He scored twice in the game's opening 9:37 to stake his team to a 2-0 lead.

Shattenkirk, who also had two assists, added two power-play goals, the second coming just 1:44 into second period for a 4-1 lead.

Cedric Paquette scored twice for the Lightning, who have been outscored 19-9 during the four-game skid.

Nikita Kucherov and Tyler Johnson also scored for Tampa Bay. Paquette's second goal trimmed the deficit to 5-4 with 8:02 remaining in the third period.

St. Louis has won its last five at home against the Lightning, who last won in St. Louis on Dec. 18, 2009.

Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy gave up four goals on 16 shots and was replaced by St. Louis native Ben Bishop early in the second period.

The Blues, who struggled offensively at the beginning of the season, have scored at least three goals in each of their last nine games.

Alexander Steen added three assists for the Blues in his first game back since missing six games with a shoulder injury.

NOTES: The Lightning recalled RW Joel Vermin and LW Michael Bournival from Syracuse of the AHL. ... St. Louis leads the overall series with Tampa Bay 21-11-3. ... Tampa Bay D Anton Stralman returned to the lineup after missing nine games due to an upper body injury. ... Blues LW David Perron had a career-best eight-game point streak snapped. ... Bishop did not start in back-to-back games for the first time this season. ... St. Louis C Paul Stastny played in his 700th NHL game.

UP NEXT:

Lightning: Return home after three-game trip to host Washington on Saturday.

Blues: Host Winnipeg on Saturday in the fourth of five straight games at home.

St. Louis Blues' Robert Bortuzzo (41) and Tampa Bay Lightning's Brayden Point chase the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) The Associated Press

St. Louis Blues' Kevin Shattenkirk, center, is congratulated by Alexander Steen, left, and Vladimir Tarasenko, of Russia, after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) The Associated Press

St. Louis Blues' Kevin Shattenkirk, left, is congratulated by Vladimir Tarasenko, of Russia, after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) The Associated Press

St. Louis Blues' Paul Stastny, left, and Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrej Sustr, of the Czech Republic, chase the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) The Associated Press

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