ST. LOUIS — Vladimir Sobotka needed just a couple shifts to return to top form Thursday night.
Back after missed the previous 12 games because of a left knee injury, Sobotka had a goal and two assists to help the NHL-leading St. Louis Blues beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-2 on Thursday night.
“I just kept it simple,” Sobotka said after the fifth three-point game of his career. “It was about timing. As the game went along, I got a little faster and a little stronger.”
St. Louis has won six of seven overall and eight of nine against Edmonton.
Alex Pietrangelo started a four-goal third period and Jaden Schwartz added two goals for the Blues, who outscored Edmonton 17-4 in sweeping the three-game season series.
Pietrangelo, Schwartz and T.J. Oshie scored in 7:14 span at the outset of the third period to break a 2-2 tie, and Schwartz added his second goal of the period at 12:56.
Ryan Miller made 23 saves to improve to 5-0-1 since joining the Blues in a trade with Buffalo on Feb. 28. He’s 7-0 against Edmonton.
Sobotka scored late in the first period and then set up the winning goal 42 seconds into the third period. He stole the puck from Andrew Ference in the corner and found Pietrangelo wide open in the slot for a 3-2 lead.
“We knew he was going to bring some energy and some bite back into our lineup,” Pietrangelo said. “Whether he felt his best or not, it certainly looked like he didn’t miss a beat. We kind of needed a little extra jump and he seems to have brought it.”
Pietrangelo felt he had to capitalize on Sobotka’s hard work in the corner
“It was a great pass, I’d better bury it,” Pietrangelo said.
Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for St. Louis, and Oshie added two assists.
Miller has stopped 134 of 145 shots in six games with St. Louis and has yet to lose in regulation.
He has a 1.82 goals-against-average and .924 save percentage with the Blues.
David Perron and Mark Fraser scored for Edmonton. Perron spent six seasons in St. Louis and leads the Oilers with 25 goals.
Edmonton tied it at 2 late in the second period on Fraser’s shot from close range.
The Blues then took over with a near-perfect third period.
“We played with tempo and we played with speed in the neutral zone,” St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. “We were really effective. We put a lot of pressure on people.”
St. Louis outshot Edmonton 14-11 over the final 20 minutes, peppering goalie Ben Scrivens from start to finish.
“They capitalized on their scoring chances,” Scrivens said.
“But I needed to make more saves than I did.”
The Oilers appeared to have gained the momentum with Fraser’s tying goal.
“I don’t care how good they are, we were able to play with them for two periods,” Edmonton coach Dallas Eakins said. “We certainly should be able to do it for another 20 more minutes.”