Blues boost playoff hopes with 4-goal win at Ducks

Robert Thomas scored once in a three-point game and Dylan Holloway tallied twice to lead the visiting St. Louis Blues to a 6-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Pius Suter and Colton Parayko both scored once and added an assist for the Blues (32-31-12, 76 points), who are three points outside of a playoff spot with seven games remaining.

Jonatan Berggren also scored, while Jake Neighbours and Philip Broberg both collected a pair of assists and goaltender Joel Hofer made 25 saves.

Ryan Poehling collected one goal and one assist and Jeffrey Viel tallied once for the Ducks (41-30-5, 87 points), who lost their hold on the top spot in the Pacific Division.

Goalie Lukas Dostal stopped 23 shots for Anaheim, which is winless in four games (0-3-1).

Berggren's goal late in the first period sent the Blues off to victory. With the score tied 2-2, he set up in the slot after a glaring turnover and buried the chance with 76 seconds remaining in the back-and-forth opening frame.

Suter made it a 4-2 game with a tap-in tally set up by Neighbours and Tyler Tucker at 3:08 of the second period.

Parayko extended the Blues lead at 16:50 of the middle frame by converting a wrist shot from the top of the right circle for his second goal of the season.

Holloway added another power-play goal, ripping home a one-timer from the right circle set up by Thomas's pass 82 seconds into the third period for his second of the game to make it a 6-2 score.

Before that, the clubs were in a see-saw affair. The Ducks received a sought-after quick start when Poehling opened the scoring at 1:51 by redirecting Mason MacTavish's long shot.

Thomas responded to tie the clash at 5:24, chipping a shot from in tight upon being sprung on a breakaway by Broberg. With his assist, Broberg's point streak reached a career-best seven games.

Holloway put the Blues ahead just past the midway point of the opening frame, finding the mark from the top of the right circle for the power-play goal.

Then it was Anaheim's turn to erase a deficit, tying the clash when Viel redirected Poehling's cross-ice pass at 16:01 of the frame.