DALLAS — An NHL-record four goals in 49 seconds made up only part of the story in a wild contest between the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars.
Alex Pietrangelo scored the unassisted tiebreaker in the third period Friday night, but it was the seventh goal of the second period that drew the most post-game attention.
Jaden Schwartz’s goal at 19:34 of that period made it 5-4 and started the St. Louis Blues’ comeback from two down for a 7-5 win over the Dallas Stars. It was the second of three goals by Schwartz.
"Nobody had any control of anything," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We were under siege. They were under siege. The goal at the end of the second was a big one, really gave us life."
Stars coach Lindy Ruff agreed.
"When we made it 5-3, then it should have been one heck of a battle to get a chance against you. Instead, as a group we gave up that opportunity to end the period that gave them life."
Schwartz said, "Definitely helps when you make it a one-goal game going into the third. Twenty minutes left, it’s a lot of hockey."
Too much hockey for the Stars and goalie Kari Lehtonen, who gave up six goals in 19 shots before being replaced by Jhonas Enroth with 12:12 to play.
By that time, Zbynek Michalek had tied the game and Pietrangelo had put St. Louis ahead 6-5 halfway through the third.
As a Blues power play was ending, Pietrangelo shot through a screen past Lehtonen for the lead.
Schwartz completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal at 19:38.
The record-setting goal streak started when the Stars’ Travis Moen scored on a penalty shot at 19:49 of the first period. During the first 38 seconds of the second, St. Louis’ Patrik Berglund and Schwartz and Dallas’ Jamie Benn all scored.
Michalek tripped Moen to create the penalty shot. He skated in, moved the puck to his forehand and shot under Elliott.
Moen said, "I think the old heart was beating at about 200 there before I went. That’s kind of my go-to move, so I figured I might as well use that one."
Benn had two scores as the Stars rallied for four second-period goals to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead.
Berglund also scored two goals.
Blues goalie Brian Elliott made 26 saves.
St. Louis pulled even with Nashville atop the Central Division with 103 points and four games left for each team.
Dallas remained six points away from the Western Conference’s final wild card, also with four games to play.
Pietrangelo and Michalek each added an assist for St. Louis. Kevin Shattenkirk, T.J. Oshie and Jay Bouwmeester each had two assists.
After the Blues scored two goals in the first 32 seconds of the second period for a 3-1 lead, Tyler Seguin won the faceoff. He passed to Benn for a goal just six seconds later.
Benn assisted on Seguin’s goal at 10:01, and deflected in a shot by Seguin at 14:40 to give the Stars their first lead, 4-3.
Benn had two goals and an assist, and Seguin a goal and two assists.
NOTES: The Blues played without Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexander Steen (both lower-body injuries), who had combined for six goals and four assists in four games against Dallas this season. . Stars D Jordie Benn (back) missed his third straight game. . Dallas RW Valeri Nichushkin returned for the first time since Nov. 6. He played four games before undergoing hip surgery. He recorded his first assist for Dallas this season on Benn’s second goal. . Moen’s penalty shot was the first in his 721 NHL games. His only other goal this season was Dec. 27 at St. Louis. He had not played in Dallas’ previous 20 games. . St. Louis was 3-2-0 in the season series, and Dallas 2-2-1. The visiting team won every game.
