St. Louis wins first shootout this season in third attempt

DALLAS -- Ty Conklin guessed right, and the St. Louis Blues found a way to win a shootout for the first time this season.

Brad Boyes scored in the second round, and Conklin stopped Stephane Robidas in the third to give the Blues a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night.

St. Louis had lost its first two shootouts this season, but after rallying twice during regulation, the Blues pulled out the extra point with the help of Conklin's game-ending stop on Robidas.

"I kind of guessed he was going to shoot low," Conklin said after the Blues improved to 3-1 in their last four after sinking to the bottom of the Central Division. "This game was pretty important for the position we're in."

Brad Richards scored for Dallas in the first round, but Andy McDonald countered for St. Louis. Dallas' Mike Ribeiro hit the goal post with his second-round attempt, and Boyes scored through Marty Turco's pads to give the Blues the edge.

The Stars are 1-5 in shootouts this season.

"It's a big part of the game and we do put emphasis on it in practice," Dallas' James Neal said after returning from a two-game league suspension. "We've got to bear down and find a way to win that extra point. It's so big."

Erik Johnson scored a first-period power-play goal to snap St. Louis' 0-for-19 drought with the man-advantage. The Blues started the night last in the league on the power play at just over 12 percent.

"Our power play hasn't been clicking lately but the attitude tonight was to work hard and get the pucks and play with a 5-on-5 mentality," said T.J. Oshie, who had put the Blues in front midway through the final period.

David Backes added a goal and an assist in regulation, and Conklin stopped 34 shots.

Oshie gave the Blues a 3-2 advantage with 8:59 remaining, firing a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Turco on the glove side for St. Louis' first lead.

But Brenden Morrow tied it at 3-3 for Dallas on a deflection off Richards' shot with 25.4 seconds left in regulation and Turco off for a sixth attacker.

Robidas scored on the power play, and Toby Petersen added a goal for the Stars, who got a 35-save performance from Turco.