Perron stars as Blues snatch 7th straight victory
CALGARY: David Perron was the overtime hero once again, as the St Louis Blues won their seventh straight game with a 3-2 road victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.
The defending Stanley Cup champions have used overtime to win five times during their seven-game spree, which has vaulted them atop the Western Conference.
Taking advantage of a four-on-three power play in overtime, Perron onetimed a shot from the high slot for his third overtime winner of the on-going streak. He also won games in overtime on Oct 27 and Nov 1.
Goalie Jordan Binnington made 27 saves for the Blues, who blew a 2-0 lead in the final 10 minutes of regulation but regrouped to net the win.
Nicklas Backstrom scored twice, and Evgeny Kuznetsov had a goal and an assist as Washington defeated visiting
Vegas 5-2.
Backstrom scored both of his goals in the third period — the final two goals of the game and last into an empty net. Tom Wilson and Jonas Siegenthaler each also scored as the Capitals won their sixth consecutive game.
Jakub Vrana and John Carlson both added two assists, as the Caps are on a 10-0-1 roll. Goalie Braden Holtby earned the win with 30 saves and has gone 7-0-1 in his last eight games.
Defenceman Victor Hedman scored the go-ahead goal in his home country, Patrick Maroon tallied twice and Tampa Bay beat Buffalo 5-3 in the NHL Global Series in Stockholm.
The Lightning swept the two-game series in Sweden after recording a 3-2 victory on Friday.
Hedman, who had an assist on Friday and was the lone Swede on Tampa Bay’s roster, snapped a tie at one on the power play early in the second period. Maroon recorded his ninth career multi-goal game, netting his first tally late in the first period on a power play and adding his second just before the second intermission.
Yanni Gourde and Mathieu Joseph scored in the third period for the Lightning, who became the fifth team to score five goals in a regular-season game played outside North America.
Jake Guentzel and Jared McCann scored in the shoot-out, as Pittsburgh snapped a 10-game losing streak against Chicago with a 3-2 victory.
Guentzel beat Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford between the pads, and McCann blasted a shot past Crawford’s stick. Penguins goalie Matt Murray stopped Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat, while allowing a goal to Patrick Kane.
The win was tempered because Penguins captain and leading scorer Sidney Crosby left early in the third period with an unspecified injury. Coach Mike Sullivan called it a “lower-body” injury and said he would have more information today.