Tarasenko gets 30th and 31st goals, Blues chase rookie goalie in 5-1 win over Bruins

Friday, 02.20.2015 / 10:45 PM The Canadian Press

ST. LOUIS - Vladimir Tarasenko became the youngest St. Louis player to score 30 goals in 23 years, getting the last two scores in the Blues' 5-1 win over the sagging Boston Bruins on Friday night.

Petteri Lindbohm, Alex Pietrangelo and T.J. Oshie scored on the Blues' first three shots of the second to chase rookie goalie Malcolm Subban and cancel Tuukku Rask's scheduled night off. Rask, who has played in 25 of the last 26 games, flipped a chair before leaving the bench.

Brad Marchand scored for Boston, which lost its sixth in a row and played most of the final two periods without David Krejci (lower body). Subban re-entered with 4:06 to go and didn't see another shot but it was far too late for the Bruins, who are 0-4-2 in their longest winless stretch since going 0-6-4 Jan. 16-Feb. 6, 2010.

Tarasenko's 30th of the season capped the four-goal second and he got his 31st midway through the third. At 23 years and 65 days, he's the team's youngest 30-goal scorer since Brendan Shanahan got his 30th at 23 years and 63 days in 1991-92.

Alexander Steen had three assists in the second period and goalie Jake Allen moved past a shaky start for the Blues, who mustered just three shots in the first period before coming alive. They made the most of just 15 shots on the night, with Boston getting 27 shots.

The 21-year-old Subban was the Bruins' first-round pick in 2012. His NHL debut went bad in a hurry, beginning with Lindbohm's first career goal that went in and out of the glove and then off the goalie's backside into the net at 48 seconds of the second.

Pietrangelo's first goal in 23 games was a one-timer off Michel Bergeron's stick and under Subban's glove at 4:16 and T.J. Oshie scored on a drive from the top of the right circle to make it 3-1 at 5:09 and prompt a timeout and the goalie change.

Tarasenko made it four goals on seven shots in the second when he slapped home a rebound on a power play at 13:59, and he beat Rask again from the slot at 11:45 of the third. At 23 years and 65 days he's the Blues' youngest 30-goal scorer since Brendan Shanahan, at 23 years and 63 days, had 33 goals in 1991-92.

The Bruins had a 7-0 shots advantage when Marchand's 17th goal sailed under Allen's glove at 10:42 of the first, and the Blues didn't get their first shot for another 2 1/2 minutes.

Notes: It appeared Krejci was hurt attempting to check Steen, who eluded most of the blow. ... LW Daniel Paille, scoreless in his last 16 games, and RW Craig Cunningham, scoreless in his last 10, were healthy scratches for Boston. ... Attendance of 19,172 was the Blues' 12th sellout.

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