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Sobotka pushes Blues past Wild in OT

Jan 28, 2013 - 6:15 AM St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Vladimir Sobotka scored 2:16 into overtime to lift the St. Louis Blues over the Minnesota Wild, 5-4, on Sunday.

Wade Redden, Patrik Berglund, Chris Stewart and Barret Jackman also scored for the Blues, who have won three in a row. Brian Elliott made 12 saves.

St. Louis improved to 5-1-0 on the season. It's the Blues' best start since the 1997-98 season when the Blues began 7-1-0.

Zach Parise had two goals and an assist for the Wild, who have dropped three straight games. Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley each had a goal and an assist.

Niklas Backstrom stopped 29-of-34 shots in defeat.

"Very disappointed," Wild head coach Mike Yeo said. "It was a recipe for how to lose a game. ... There were more than several mistakes."

After the Blues scored three straight goals to take a 4-3 lead, Heatley tied the game with 4:08 left in regulation. Heatley batted the puck out of the air and into the net with his stick just below the crossbar. The goal was upheld following a review.

With 2:44 left in overtime, Sobotka scored from in close off a pass from Andy McDonald.

Redden's one-timer from the left circle gave the Blues a 1-0 lead at the 9:16 mark of the first period.

Parise scored a pair of power-play goals early in the second stanza to put Minnesota in front. The first goal came just 2:04 into the frame on a shot from the side of the net.

Koivu got the primary assist on Parise's second goal at the 10:52 mark. Following a battle for the puck along the boards, Koivu gathered the puck behind the net. Parise took a no-look pass from Koivu and beat Elliott for a 2-1 lead.

At the 14:37 mark, Koivu took a drop pass from Parise and beat Elliott on a shot from the right circle.

Berglund scored just over a minute later to make it a one-goal contest. David Perron carried the puck around the net before passing to Berglund. With Backstrom on his back, Berglund hit the open net for an easy goal.

Stewart deflected in Alex Pietrangelo's shot from the right point at the 11:29 mark of the third to make it 3-3.

Just over two minutes later, Jackman's slapper from the right point gave St. Louis a 4-3 lead.

"I've been around a long time and the third period was impressive," Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Back-to-back, it was a very physical game (Saturday) night (in Dallas, a 4-3 Blues victory) and to come with that type of effort (Sunday) was, I think, a real confidence booster. We didn't get down on ourselves. We really took our game to another level. A full value for the win, in my opinion."

Game Notes

Minnesota and the Blues split four meetings in 2011-12 ... The Blues are 3-0 at home this season ... Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon missed the game with a foot injury.