OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Joel Hofer made 37 saves, Jake Neighbours scored twice and the St. Louis Blues beat the Ottawa Senators 5-2 on Thursday night for their fifth victory in six games as they fight for the second and final Western Conference wild-card spot.
The Blues moved a point ahead of Minnesota and within two points of Vegas, with the defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights holding the final spot.
Jordan Kyrou had a goal and two assists, and Brandon Saad and Colton Parayko also scored.
Mark Kastelic and Dominik Kubalik scored for Ottawa, and Anton Forsberg stopped 22 shots. The Senators have lost three straight.
After Kubalik pulled Ottawa to 3-2 on a power play 1:58 into the third period, Kyrou took a pass in front, spun and roofed a shot for his third point of the night at 5:43. Neighbours added an empty-netter.
St. Louis center Zach Dean made his NHL debut, replacing the injured Oskar Sundqvist. Dean played junior hockey for the nearby Gatineau Olympiques.
UP NEXT
Blues: At Minnesota on Saturday.
Senators: At New Jersey on Saturday night.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
