Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust each had a goal with an assist while Tristan Jarry made 33 saves in another solid outing, as the host Pittsburgh Penguins won their third straight, 5-3 on Thursday night.
Conor Timmins and Connor Dewar each scored their first goal with Pittsburgh, while Ryan Graves also notched his first of the season for the Penguins, who have won three or more consecutive games for just the second time this season.
Rakell, meanwhile, posted his first 30-goal season since 2017-18 with an empty netter. Meanwhile, Jarry has stopped 97-of-103 shots in winning three straight starts since returning from his AHL exile.
Jordan Binnington allowed four goals on 19 shots before being pulled in the third for the Blues, who suffered just their third regulation loss in the last 14 games.
Just 2:17 into the contest, Graves sent a knuckler from the point that appeared to baffle Binnington and on the Penguins’ first shot of the night. Jarry did the job the rest of the first, stopping all 16 shots he faced.
The Penguins extended their lead only 2:20 into the second. Timmins beat Binnington for his first goal since being acquired by Pittsburgh, from Toronto, last week.
The Blues did finally get the puck by Jarry. On the power play, Robert Thomas sent a pass from behind the Pittsburgh net into the slot for Zack Bolduc to one-time by Jarry with 8:25 left in the middle frame.
However, the Penguins regained their two-goal edge just before the second intermission. Dewer, who also came over with Timmins from Toronto, converted a back-door push-in from Blake Lizotte’s drive toward the St. Louis net.
The Blues again got within one just 1:26 into the third. Via another power-play scenario, Dylan Holloway successfully one-timed the puck from the right circle.
Pittsburgh answered with 12:45 remaining in regulation. Off the face-off, Rakell drove a wrister that Rust tipped by Binnington, who was pulled right after, to make it 4-2.
Alexey Toropchenko impressively went nearly the distance of the ice, split the Pittsburgh defense, and flipped the puck by Jarry to again make it a one-goal contest.
Joel Hofer stopped both shots he faced for St. Louis.
