EDMONTON — A controversial goal credited to Pat Maroon early in the third period was the winner as the St. Louis Blues came away with a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
David Perron, Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz also scored for the Blues (13-15-4), who have won three of their last four games. Brayden Schenn had three assists.
Jesse Puljujarvi replied for the Oilers (18-14-3), who have lost three of their last four and saw a six-game home winning streak ended.
Maroon’s goal came 2:19 into the final period, as officials declared after a video review that the puck had crossed the line during a goal-mouth scramble, despite the referees not originally calling a goal on the ice.
St. Louis got out in front eight minutes into the first period when Perron beat Oilers goalie Cam Talbot up high with a wrist shot for his 11th goal of the season.
St. Louis Blues’ Brayden Schenn and Edmonton Oilers Cam Talbot (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson)
The Blues had 13 first period shots, while the Oilers only put eight on St. Louis starter Jake Allen.
Edmonton came close five minutes into the second period, but Connor McDavid ripped a shot off the crossbar. They would get the tying goal a couple minutes after that, however, when Puljujarvi scored on a one-timer blast, a play that withstood a video review for a potential off-side call. Defenceman Caleb Jones picked up his first NHL point with an assist.
The Oilers came close to grabbing the lead early in the third as a Jujhar Khaira shot got behind Allen before being fished out to safety by defender Joel Edmundson.
Maroon’s eventual winner came minutes later.
Then, with Khaira serving a five-minute cross-checking major, the Blues added to their lead with Tarasenko ending a seven-game drought with his 10th of the season.
Schwartz put the game away with an empty-netter.
The Blues play the second game of a three-game Western Canada road swing in Vancouver on Thursday. The Oilers are off until Saturday, when they play host to Tampa Bay, the second game of a five-game homestand.
Notes: It was the second of three meetings between the two teams, with Edmonton winning the first contest 3-2 in a shootout on Dec. 5… Allen had allowed 10 first-period goals on 40 shots in his previous four starts, but blanked Edmonton in the opening period on Tuesday.
Shane Jones, The Canadian Press
