Wild vs. Blues 2015 final score: Vladimir Tarasenko hat trick gives St. Louis a Game 2 win

Tarasenko put the Blues on top early then iced the game late.

Vladimir Tarasenko didn't take a single shot in St. Louis' 4-2 loss in Game 1 to the Minnesota Wild, but the forward wasted little time changing that in Game 2 with two first period goals. He would eventually go on to net a third goal for a hat trick and help the Blues even their series with a 4-1 win.

Tarasenko put the Blues on the board early then made it 2-0 just a few minutes later when he scored on the power play. That sent St. Louis to the intermission in good position. The Wild weren't done, however, and cut the lead to 2-1 just minutes into the third period. That's how the game stayed for most of the final period before Patrik Berglund gave St. Louis some breathing room with a late goal. Tarasenko put the exclamation point on the victory less than two minutes later when he scored an empty-net goal for the hat trick.

While Tarasenko took care of the offense, rookie goaltender Jake Allen did well to keep the Wild at bay. He stopped 24-of-25 shots including 7-of-8 in the third period as the Wild tried to pull even. The win was vital for St. Louis to have a chance in the series as the teams travel to Minnesota for Game 3. Going down 0-2 with the next two games on the road would have been a major hurdle to overcome. Even as it is, the Blues will need to steal a game on the road if they want to have a chance to close the series out at home in Game 5.

The teams will travel on Sunday before getting back on the ice for Game 3 on Monday.

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