ST. LOUIS (AP) — Ivan Barbashev recorded his first career NHL hat trick to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.
Oskar Sundqvist and Pat Maroon also scored for the Blues, who have points in their last four games. Rookie Jordan Binnington made 20 saves, improving to 19-4-1.
Thomas Vanek scored twice and Jonathan Bernier made 19 saves for the Red Wings, who had their two-game winning streak snapped.
Barbashev gave the Blues a 2-1 lead, poking home a loose puck amid a scramble in front of the Red Wings’ net, at the 3:22 mark of the second period.
Barbashev made it 3-1 less than two minutes later, starting the play with a hit on the Red Wings’ Michael Rasmussen that jarred the puck to Alexander Steen. The Blues forward gave it right back to Barbashev, who punched in a rebound off of his initial shot.
Vanek’s 15th of the season got Detroit back to within one, but Maroon’s goal midway through the third period gave St. Louis a two-goal lead again. Maroon has scored in four straight games.
Barbashev completed the hat trick with an empty-netter with 48 seconds left.
Vanek gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead at the 2:05 mark of the first period, banging in his own rebound off of Binnington’s pad. It was his first goal in five games.
Sundqvist evened the game for the Blues with 8:14 remaining in the opening period, scoring on a quick shot from the slot after being set up by a no-look pass from Michael Del Zotto from the corner. Del Zotto, acquired from Anaheim at the trade deadline, has assists in three straight games.
NOTES: Blues LW David Perron had an assist on Sundqvist’s goal to extend his streak to 17 consecutive appearances with a point, becoming the first Blues player to do it since Brett Hull in the 1991-92 season (25 games). … Red Wings F Jacob de la Rose (accerated heartbeat) returned to Detroit and is expected to miss the rest of the team’s five-game road trip. … Steen had two assists to give him 600 career points. … Red Wings D Trevor Daley (back) will likely miss the rest of the season.
