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Oshie helps Blues thump Wild

St.  Louis, MO  (SportsNetwork.com)  -  T.J. Oshie's  first  career hat  trick 
highlighted  the St.  Louis Blues'  latest victory,  a  5-1  drubbing of  the 
slumping Minnesota Wild at Scottrade Center. 

Jaden  Schwartz  and Brenden  Morrow  also  tallied  for the  current  Western 
Conference  leaders,  who improved  to 11-2-1  since acquiring goaltender Ryan 
Miller from Buffalo on Feb. 28. 

"We're  really focusing on playing team hockey right now and it's showing with 
the  results we've  had," said Oshie. "Three  of them happened to come from my 
stick, but the next game it will be someone else." 

Miller  did his part  as well in this one, taking a shutout bid into the final 
nine minutes and turning aside 27 of the 28 shots he faced. 

Counterpart Darcy Kuemper wasn't as effective, coming up with just 19 saves as 
the  Wild lost  for the ninth time  in 12 games. Minnesota's lead over Phoenix 
for  the  top wild-card spot  in the  West also shrunk  to one point after the 
Coyotes downed New Jersey on Thursday. 

Zach  Parise accounted for the lone Wild goal in Minnesota's ninth consecutive 
setback to the Blues. 

"That's a team we could face in the first round and we wanted to make it tough 
on them," said Parise. "I don't think we did that, at all, tonight." 

Oshie's  first two  goals came during the opening period, with the initial one 
--  a well-placed wrister into the upper right corner of the Wild net after he 
corralled a loose puck -- giving St. Louis a quick 1-0 edge 4:43 in. 

A  double-minor penalty  to Kevin Shattenkirk late in the first gave Minnesota 
an  extended power play, but the Wild instead fell behind further while on the 
man  advantage.  Oshie intercepted a  pass from  Jared Spurgeon in the neutral 
zone,  starting a  shorthanded breakaway that he finished by blasting the puck 
past Kuemper 26 seconds before the intermission. 

The Blues did cash in on a power-play opportunity to extend the margin in the 
second  period,  with Schwartz beating  Kuemper to  the stick side with Morrow 
setting a screen for a 3-0 cushion. 

Oshie  completed  the  hat  trick  with 7:18  elapsed  in  the  third  period, 
successfully  redirecting a  blast from the point from Jay Bouwmeester to make 
it a 4-0 game. 

Just  under 3  1/2 minutes later, Morrow  chipped in a rebound of Alex Steen's 
initial attempt with the Blues on another power play. 

Parise  produced  Minnesota's lone  highlight  of  the  night by  finishing  a 
transition rush with Charlie Coyle with 8:49 remaining. 

                                   Game Notes 

The  Wild haven't  bested the Blues since a 3-2 shootout decision in Minnesota 
on Nov. 19, 2011 ... Oshie became the second St. Louis player in as many games 
to register a hat trick, with David Backes accomplishing the feat in Tuesday's 
win  over Toronto  ... The Blues have  now notched a point in 10 straight home 
games  (8-0-2), tying  a season-best stretch from Oct. 25-Dec. 5 ... Minnesota 
went  0-for-6 on  the power play, while St. Louis converted 2-of-5 chances ... 
Blues  forward Derek  Roy returned to action after missing two straight with a 
groin injury. 

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