Tarasenko, Stastny lead Blues past Stars

Training Camp is a time for prospects to shine, but its also a time for veterans to show how excited they are to get back on the ice.

Count Vladimir Tarasenko and Paul Stastny in that category for the Blues as they both picked up three points and helped pace the Blues to a 6-0 shutout win at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis Wednesday (Sept. 24).

Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and forward Ty Rattie both chipped in a couple of assists in the game and Brian Elliott went the distance in goal, turning aside all 22 Stars shots.

Tarasenko scored the only goal of the opening period on a powerplay from Stastny and Shattenkirk and the Blues widened the gap with a four goal uprising in the middle period.

Petteri Lindbohm, a Sixth Round (176th Overall) selection of the Blues in 2012 scored the first goal of the middle period just 23 seconds in from Rattie and Jaden Schwartz. Lindbohm played 23 games in St. Louis and is hoping to stick full time out of camp.

Tarasenko added another at the 8:10 mark, from Shattenkirk and Alex Steen and Joel Edmundson, a 22-year-old 6’4,” 207 lbs. defenseman from Brandon, MB added another just under two minutes later from Jeremy Welsh.

Stastny fired a wrist shot by Kari Lehtonen in the final minute of the middle period to put the Blues up 5-0 from Tarasenko and Colton Parayko, a top defense prospect selected by the Blues in the Third Round (86th Overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Stastny finished off the scoring just past the halfway mark of the final period from Dimitrij Jaskin and Rattie.

Lehtonen  stopped 24 of 30 in goal for the Stars.

Tarasenko, Stastny and Elliott were named as the game’s three stars.

The Blues will continue its pre-season on Saturday (Sept. 26) at the United Center against the Chicago Blackhawks.