Minnesota 3, St. Louis 1
When: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, December 31, 2015
Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Referees:
Francis Charron, Dave Jackson
Linesmen:
Brian Murphy, Vaughan Rody
Attendance:
19194
By The Sports Xchange
ST. LOUIS -- Center Erik Haula's goal midway through the third period snapped a 1-1 tie to send the Minnesota Wild to a 3-1 win Thursday night over the St. Louis Blues.
The win was only the second in regulation for the Wild in 16 regular-season games in St. Louis dating back to 2007.
Haula's shot, from the side of the net, went under goalie Jake Allen's stick and through his legs at 11:28 of the third period. It was his third goal of the season.
Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and Wild winger Nino Niederreiter traded second period goals Minnesota left winger Thomas Vanek added an empty-net goal with 1:23 to go in the game to cap the scoring.
The Blues took a 1-0 lead midway through the second period, despite not being able to score during a 41-second 5-on-3 power play. After the first penalty expired, Shattenkirk scored on a slap shot, beating goalie Devan Dubnyk while defenseman Marco Scandella was serving a minor penalty for delay of game.
The Blues had scored on only one of 10 power-play chances in their previous four games. The goal was Shattenkirk's seventh of the season.
The Wild tied the game at 16:12 of the second period. Allen stopped a shot by right winger Justin Fontaine, but Niederreiter was able to knock in the rebound for his eighth goal this year.
Both teams were minus their best offensive catalyst in the game. Blues right winger Vladimir Tarasenko, who has 22 goals, missed the game because of an illness. Minnesota left winger Zach Parise, tied for the team lead with 11 goals, could not play because of a lower-body injury.
With 11 home games in December, the Blues had hoped to use that schedule to their advantage, but Thursday night's loss dropped their record to 6-5 for the month at home.
NOTES: Blues RW Vladimir Tarasenko did not play because of illness. ... Wild LW Zach Parise missed the game because of a lower-body injury suffered in practice on Sunday, even though he did play in Monday night's game. Coach Mike Yeo said Parise might play when the four-game trip continues Saturday in Tampa. Parise sat out eight games earlier this season because of a sprained MCL. ... Backup G Darcy Kuemper did not make the trip to St. Louis because of a mild concussion. ... C Patrik Berglund, recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, participated in the Blues morning skate and could return to the lineup in the next few days.
Top Game Performances
Minnesota |
|
St. Louis |
Erik Haula 2 |
Points |
Kevin Shattenkirk 1 |
Erik Haula 1 |
Goals |
Kevin Shattenkirk 1 |
Erik Haula 1 |
Assists |
Paul Stastny 1 |
N/A |
Power Play Goals |
Kevin Shattenkirk 1 |
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
Devan Dubnyk .971 |
Save Percentage |
Jake Allen .929 |
Devan Dubnyk 33 |
Saves |
Jake Allen 26 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
Minnesota
|
29 |
3 |
0-1 |
2-3 |
8 |
26 |
St. Louis
|
34 |
1 |
1-3 |
1-1 |
4 |
25 |
Upcoming Games
-
St. Louis will play their next game on the road against Toronto. The Blues have a W/L % of .458 after a win and .750 after a loss.
-
Minnesota will play their next game on the road against Tampa Bay. The Wild have a W/L % of .600 after a win and .500 after a loss.