Blues defeat Bruins for fourth straight win

BOSTON-- Jake Allen made 39 saves and Robert Bortuzzo and Paul Stastny scored 2:12 apart in the second period to help lead the St. Louis Blues to a 4-2 win against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Tuesday.
Jori Lehtera scored his first goal in seven games in the second and got an empty-net goal in the third period for the Blues (11-6-3), who have won four in a row and won for the first time in their past five road games. Colton Parayko and Patrik Berglund each had two assists.

"Well we were so sideways in the first period, trying to make plays that weren't there and they just turned it back on us," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Once our attack went direct, I thought our second period was the best we have played on the road. Then we needed the goalie in the third and he came through big time."
Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara left the game after skating one shift in the second period and
did not return
. Bruins coach Claude Julien didn't have an update after the game.
WATCH: All Blues vs. Bruins highlights
"I just think that in the second period with five [defensemen] we got caught in our own end at times for long periods of time," Julien said. "And then we had some guys that were out there tired and some of those guys are obviously [defensemen]. So it cost us a few goals there."

David Backes, a former captain of the Blues, scored in his first game against St. Louis since signing with Boston on July 1. Dominic Moore scored and Tuukka Rask made 24 saves, and the Bruins (11-8-0) lost for the first time in their past four home games.
Backes scored on a rebound of his own tip-in attempt for a 1-0 lead at 7:44 of the first period.

St. Louis took advantage of Chara's absence in the second period and outshot Boston 14-12. Lehtera's deflection of a Parayko shot at 3:23 tied the game 1-1. The Bruins challenged because they thought there was goaltender interference on the play but the goal was upheld after review.
"It doesn't matter if I'm satisfied or not. I challenged it because I thought it was goalie interference and when your goaltender's glove is out there and they skate by and they knock it away, it prevents him from making a save," Julien said.
Boston regained the lead 2-1 on Moore's shorthanded goal at 8:59 after he beat Allen with a wrist shot. But Bortuzzo scored on a rebound at 13:59 for his first goal of the season to tie it 2-2.
"We actually had three guys at the top of the blue line and we kicked it high so I figured it was a safe play to come down there and a fortunate bounce to come to me and I put it home," Bortuzzo said.

Stastny gave the Blues a 3-2 lead with his fifth goal of the season and first in nine games.
Lehtera scored into an empty net at 18:44 of the third period for the 4-2 lead.

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Goal of the game

Stastny scored the game-winning goal on a rebound of Jaden Schwartz's shot after a solid cycle of the puck in the right circle.

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Save of the game

After Bruins center David Krejci stole the puck in front of the St. Louis net, Allen made a blocker save at 15:43 of the third period.

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Highlight of the game

With the Bruins pressuring with a 6-on-5 advantage, Allen went post to post to rob Ryan Spooner at 18:31 of the third period.

Unsung moment of the game

Parayko kept the puck in at the right point twice, including once after Tim Schaller blocked Parayko's shot, leading up to Bortuzzo's game-tying goal.

They said it

"A little weird at first but you realize you're wearing different jerseys and you're playing for keeps. You get a couple bumps and I wish, I think the whole team [wishes], that we had a different outcome tonight." -- Bruins forward David Backes on facing the Blues for the first time
"Yeah I think if you ask the family or people outside the situation, you are happy for him, he gets his goal. As a team we are happy because you know we got our two points and now we look forward to tomorrow." -- St. Louis forward Paul Stastny on giving up a goal to former Blues captain David Backes

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Need to know

Bruins defenseman Torey Krug got his 100th NHL assist. ... Krejci got his 484th NHL point to tie Don Marcotte for 15th in Bruins history. ... Berglund (two assists) had gone 11 games without a point.

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What's next

Blues: At the Washington Capitals on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; CSN-DC, FS-MW, NHL.TV)
Bruins: At the Ottawa Senators on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, NESN, NHL.TV)