Matthew Kessel’s late goal lifts Blues past Senators

Matthew Kessel scored the decisive goal as the St. Louis Blues held off the visiting Ottawa Senators 4-3 Friday afternoon.

Oskar Sundqvist, Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich also scored for the Blues, who have earned a point in five of their last six games (2-1-3).

Jordan Binnington made 25 saves and somehow survived Ottawa's last-minute flurry while the Senators were playing 6-on-5.

Shane Pinto, Fabian Zetterlund and David Perron scored and Leevi Merilainen made 27 saves for the Senators, who are 3-2-0 on their seven-game road trip.

Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk, who had been sidelined by a thumb injury, earned an assist in his first game since Oct. 13.

Moments into the game, St. Louis' Brayden Schenn blocked a shot with his stick, then took off on a breakaway. But when Schenn went to his backhand, his cracked stick crumbled, and the puck rolled wide.

The Senators mustered just four shots on goal during the first 20 minutes, but they blocked six shots and earned five takeaways with tight checking.

Sundqvist put the Blues up 1-0 at the 7:59 mark of the second period by banking the puck in off Merilainen's back from behind the left post.

Pinto tied the game 1-1 midway through the period by crashing the net and sweeping the loose puck around Binnington.

Zetterlund put the Senators up 2-1 with 1:34 left in the second period. He reversed course behind the St. Louis net and tucked the puck inside the left post.

Kyrou tied the game 2:01 into the third period. He took a cross-ice from Jake Neighbours, then cut across the crease to score on his backhand.

Buchnevich put the Blues up 3-2 by scoring on a 2-on-1 rush. Perron tied the game when Blues defenseman Colton Parayko turned the puck over to him in front of the net.

However, Kessel gave St. Louis a 4-3 lead with 10:41 left to play by batting in the puck during a goalmouth scramble.

--Field Level Media