>>Blues Blast Avalanche

 

Braden Schenn scored twice and Vince Dunn had a career-high three assists to help the St. Louis Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-1 on Thursday night.

 

Schenn's fight with Gabriel Landeskog three seconds into the game set the tone.

 

Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist, and Ivan Barbashev, Kyle Brodziak and Alex Pietrangelo also scored. The Blues scored more than four goals for the first time since Dec. 9 as 13 of the team's 18 skaters had at least one point.

 

Carter Hutton made 23 saves as St. Louis beat Colorado for the fourth straight time. The Blues have earned points against the Avalanche in 12 consecutive games.

 

Gabriel Bourque scored for the Avalanche, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Semyon Varlamov allowed three goals in relief of Jonathan Bernier after he allowed three goals in 20 shots.

 

The Blues took control on goals by Barbashev and Schenn 48 seconds apart early in the second period.

 

Schenn put the Blues on top 1-0 with a power play goal at 8:41 of the first period. Schenn's 300th career point came off of a Jaden Schwartz slap shot off of Bernier's pad that deflected directly to his tape.

 

Barbashev's goal, beating Bernier short-side from a difficult angle at the left faceoff circle, broke a 1-1 tie at 4:17 of the second.

 

Schenn's second of the game made it 3-1 and ended Bernier's night. It was Schenn's third multi-goal game this season.

 

Brodziak and Pietrangelo blew the game open with goals later in the second and Stastny scored six minutes into the third period.

 

The Blues are at Winnipeg on Friday night.

 

>>Stars Double Up Blackhawks

 

Tyler Seguin scored twice, Ben Bishop made 37 saves and the Dallas Stars beat the fading Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Thursday night for their fourth straight win.

 

Tyler Pitlick connected with 4.5 seconds left in second period and Stephen Johns also scored for the Stars, who strengthened their hold on the top wild card in the Western Conference and remained one point behind third-place St. Louis in the Central Division.

Jonathan Toews and Artem Anisimov scored for Chicago, which lost its fourth straight overall and sixth straight at home. Anton Forsberg blocked 26 shots.

 

Seguin ran his team-high total to 28 goals by scoring for the fourth straight game. The Stars have outscored their opponents 16-5 during their winning streak.

 

Toews' 15th goal at 9:07 was the lone score in the first period. After taking Brent Seabrook's bank pass of the boards, Toews gained a step on defenseman Dan Hamhuis and snapped off a shot from the left circle that ticked off Bishop's right pad.

 

The captain snapped an 11-game drought with his first goal since he scored twice at Ottawa on Jan. 9. During the span, the veteran center had just three assists.

 

Seguin and Johns scored on consecutive shots 59 seconds apart early in the second to put Dallas ahead 2-1.

 

Capping a quick transition, Seguin streaked down the slot ahead of defenseman Connor Murphy and tipped in Alexander Radulov's nifty backhand pass at 5:44. After Chicago turned over the puck behind its net, Johns' screened shot from the left point appeared to hit traffic and sailed past Forsberg.

 

Anisimov's power-play goal at 12:48 tied it at 2. He batted in the puck from the left side of the net after Seabrook's shot from the top of the slot went wide and bounded off the back boards.

 

Pitlick put Dallas back ahead in the final seconds of the period. His shot from the right circle beat Forsberg over the right shoulder and landed in the upper-left corner of the net.

 

Tommy Wingels' point-blank shot for Chicago hit the post 6:12 into the third. Bishop made a handful of close-in saves in the third before Seguin scored into an empty net with 58 seconds left.

 

The Blackhawks are at Minnesota on Saturday night to start a three-game trip.