The St. Louis Blues kept scoring, and Winnipeg coming back. Four times the Blues scored, four times the Jets answered.
After Winnipeg tied the game on a sixth-attacker goal by Blake Wheeler sent the game to overtime, it meant the next goal would decide it.
That goal came from David Perron, who backhanded the puck in for his fourth overtime goal of the season as the Blues won 5-4 to extend their winning streak to seven games, matching their season long at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg.
Perron stole the puck in his own end and, though at the end of a shift and running on empty, came in alone, switching from his forehand to backhand to score his 16th goal of the season.
The teams meet again on Sunday at Enterprise Center.
The second goal of the game for Tyler Bozak_his second two-goal game in his past five games_looked like it might stand as the game-winner. Bozak took a pass from Robert Thomas in the slot 5:10 into the third period to break a 3-3 tie. The Blues led 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3, only to see Winnipeg tie the game each time.
Bozak scored twice on Dec. 14 vs. Chicago. He has seven goals this season. Alex Pietrangelo had an assist on the play, giving him 325 for the Blues and tying him with Al MacInnis for most by a defenseman in franchise history. He's eight behind Brian Sutter for third all-time.
It figured to be a tough game for the Blues in their first game back after the three-day Christmas break. The Blues flew into Winnipeg the morning of the game.
The Blues came into the third period up 3-2, but a power-play goal by Kyle Connor, his second of the game on a rebound just 3:12 into the third period.
Pietrangelo's 10th goal of the season, fired in from a tight angle, put the Blues up 5:30 into the period, but the lead didn't last long. Four minutes and seven seconds later, Kyle Connor had the puck down low and managed to go over Jordan Binnington's shoulder from close in.
The Blues got a power play when Mark Scheifele was called for hooking and with 3:52 to go in the second, Bozak scored. From down low, he passed to Jaden Schwartz in the slot. Schwartz's shot was blocked and the puck trickled back to Bozak, who quickly put it in before Connor Hellebuyck could get back. It was the sixth goal of the season for Bozak. The Blues have scored on four of their past six power plays.
Winnipeg had what looked like a go-ahead goal after it was 2-2 when Nikolaj Ehlers redirected the puck toward an empty side of the net. In the process, Ehlers lost his footing and slid into the post, and the puck hit his skate and he kept his own shot out of the net.
Schwartz had an assist on each of the first three goals, giving him 21 on the season and seven points in the past three games. Brayden Schenn has two assists, giving him two points in each of the past three games.
Justin Faulk scored for the Blues 70 seconds into the game, and Winnipeg's Gabriel Bourque scored with 46 seconds to play.
In between, Winnipeg had most of the chances, including a power play the Blues had to kill off. Winnipeg outshot the Blues 12-5 and the Blues had only one shot on goal from a forward, a late effort by Robert Thomas.
It figured to be a tough game for the Blues, who were on a 7:30 a.m. flight to get to Manitoba for the game as they resumed play after the NHL Christmas break.
Schwartz had the puck along the boards_not far from where Bozak had the puck when he fed Schwartz for the Game 5 game-winner in the playoffs_and passed to Faulk near the blueline, who shot it in through traffic for his third goal of the season.
The Blues picked up another too-many-men penalty and weathered a heavy power play by Winnipeg and kept the score tied.
Finally, in the final minute, Binnington saved a shot by Mason Appleton but the rebound came to Bourque, who used Jay Bouwmeester as a screen to score.
