Krejci Leads Bruins To 6-5 Win Over Blues
ST. LOUIS -- David Krejci scored two goals and added two assists and the Boston Bruins held on for a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Blues on Friday night to retain their slim hold on third place in the Atlantic Division.
The Bruins won for only the second time in their last eight games as they maintained a one-point lead over the Detroit Red Wings in the playoff battle with four games remaining in the regular season. Detroit defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 on Friday night.
The Blues saw their five-game winning streak snapped as they remained two points behind the Dallas Stars in the race for first place in the Central Division and Western Conference.
The Blues fell behind 5-2 after the second period before cutting the lead to 5-4 on goals from Robert Bortuzzo and Alex Pietrangelo, but their rally came up short.
Patrice Bergeron scored a power-play goal with 3:24 to go to restore Boston's two-goal lead. It was his 30th goal of the season. After pulling goalie Jake Allen, Kevin Shattenkirk scored with 21 seconds left to make it 6-5.
The Blues had allowed just one goal in their previous five games and Brian Elliott had stopped 91 of the last 92 shots he had faced, but he allowed two goals in the first period and three in the second to a team that had a combined 10 goals in their previous seven games.
After Jaden Schwartz scored the first goal of the game for the Blues, the Bruins responded with goals by Loui Eriksson, his 28th of the year, and Krejci in a span of 1:50 to take a 2-1 lead.
Paul Stastny's goal 5:39 into the second period tied the game for the Blues, but a goal from Matt Beleskey on a shot off the faceoff ignited the three-goal flurry for the Bruins.
Frank Vatrano's goal gave Boston a 4-2 lead at 15:27, and Krejci capped the period with his second goal of the game, on a power-play, at 18:14.
Bruins' defenseman Kevan Miller had to leave the game in the first period after he slid hard into the boards while battling the Blues' Magnus Paajarvi. He was helped off the ice with what was announced as a lower-body injury.
NOTES: LW Robby Fabbri did not play for the Blues after injuring his left leg in Tuesday night's game. He did participate in the morning skate. LW Magnus Paajarvi replaced Fabbri in the lineup. ... Blues RW Steve Ott, who has not played since suffering a torn hamstring on Dec. 5, also skated Friday morning and might play Sunday in Colorado. ... The game was the 1,400th in the NHL for Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, tying him with Pat Quinn for seventh all-time. ... D John-Michael Liles returned to the Bruins' lineup after missing two games because of a lower-body injury. ... The Bruins signed Boston University D Matt Grzelcyk to a two-year entry-level contract. He will report to Providence of the AHL on an amateur tryout contract. ... The Bruins play in Chicago on Sunday.