Blues boost playoff hopes with 4-goal win over Ducks

Robert Thomas scored once in a three-point game and Dylan Holloway tallied twice to lead visiting St. Louis to a 6-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, keeping the Blues' slim playoff hopes alive.

Pius Suter and Colton Parayko both scored once and added an assist for the Blues (32-31-12, 76 points), who are three points outside of a playoff spot with seven games remaining.

St. Louis' Jonatan Berggren also scored, Jake Neighbours and Philip Broberg both collected a pair of assists, and goaltender Joel Hofer made 25 saves.

Ryan Poehling collected one goal and one assist and Jeffrey Viel tallied once for the Ducks (41-30-5, 87 points), who lost their hold on the top spot in the Pacific Division. The Edmonton Oilers also have 87 points, but they hold the tiebreaker edge.

Goalie Lukas Dostal stopped 23 shots for Anaheim, which is winless in four games (0-3-1).

Berggren's goal late in the first period sent the Blues off to victory. With the score tied 2-2, Berggren set up in the slot after a glaring turnover and buried the chance with 76 seconds remaining in the back-and-forth opening frame.

Suter made it a 4-2 game with a tap-in tally set up by Neighbours and Tyler Tucker at 3:08 of the second period.

Parayko extended the Blues' lead at 16:50 of the middle frame by converting a wrist shot from the top of the right circle for his second goal of the season.

Holloway added a power-play goal, ripping home a one-timer from the right circle set up by Thomas' pass 82 seconds into the third period for his second of the game to make it a 6-2 score.

Before that, the clubs were in a see-saw affair. The Ducks received a sought-after quick start when Poehling opened the scoring at 1:51 by redirecting Mason MacTavish's long shot.

Thomas responded to tie the clash at 5:24, chipping a shot from in tight upon being sprung on a breakaway by Broberg. With his assist, Broberg extended his point streak to a career-best seven games.

Holloway put the Blues ahead just past the midway point of the opening frame, finding the mark from the top of the right circle for the power-play goal.

Then it was Anaheim's turn to erase a deficit, tying the clash when Viel redirected Poehling's cross-ice pass at 16:01 of the frame.

--Field Level Media