TORONTO -- Vladimir Tarasenko scored the overtime winner as the St. Louis Blue kept rolling under new head coach Mike Yeo, beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1.
Tarasenko snapped his 26th goal of the year past Frederik Andersen 20 seconds into the extra frame as St Louis improved to 4-1-0 under Yeo, who replaced Ken Hitchcock as the Blues' coach last week.
Morgan Rielly scored the lone goal for Toronto (25-17-11), Andersen sharp with 38 saves in defeat.
It was the second time in a week that St. Louis (28-22-5) beat Toronto, the Blues emerging 5-1 last week at home.
St. Louis, which sits third in the Central division with 61 points, came out full of fire against the Leafs again in this one, looking a lot like the club that reached last year's Western Conference final against San Jose.
The Blues outshot Toronto 17-4 over the first 20 minutes, grabbing the first goal from Berglund. The six-foot-four Swedish centre pounced on a blocked shot in the high slot and whipped a shot under the glove of Andersen. Jaden Schwartz got the play going by controlling the puck in the corner, the Saskatchewan native outmanoeuvring defenceman Connor Carrick before feeding his linemates in front.
The Blues pressed for most of the first, hogging the puck almost without exception in the Toronto zone. Most of their shots came from between the face-off dots, Andersen needing a sharp effort to keep it close.
The 27-year-old has been scuffling in the new year, but especially of late. He entered the night having yielded 16 goals in his previous three starts. His most impressive save in the opening period came with less than two minutes go when, while down and out in the crease, he still managed to glove down a Colton Parayko point shot.
Jake Allen at the other end faced little of consequence, save for a Carrick post in the opening moments. The 26-year-old's struggles this season helped pave the way for Hitchcock's dismissal last Wednesday. A Fredericton, N.B. native, Allen came into the night with a .900 save percentage this season, which included a 30-save shutout in his last start.
He was tested early in the second when rookie winger Zach Hyman set up Tyler Bozak in the slot and then later in the period on a big Auston Matthews one-timer.
The Leafs finally got one past with 64 seconds left in the frame. Nazem Kadri drove down the right side and fired a shot at Allen, the juicy rebound trickling off William Nylander toward the weak-side where it was slammed home by Rielly.
It was only the second goal all season for the 22-year-old and first since Nov. 11, snapping a 32-game spell.
Shots were 14 apiece in the period, but 31-18 for St. Louis overall. Even-strength shot attempts favoured the Blues 49-34 (59 per cent possession).
Toronto had a scary moment early in the third when Mitch Marner, leading the Leafs and all NHL rookies in scoring this season (heading into Thursday's play), blocked a Jay Bouwmeester shot with his right hand. Marner winced in pain, but remained on for the remainder of his shift and the game.
Marner nearly scored a few shifts later when he got some space in tight on Allen, the puck just bouncing over his stick as he attempted to get a shot off.
The Leafs are in midst of a heavy home schedule with six of the next eight scheduled for the Air Canada Centre.
St. Louis centre Paul Stastny was forced to exit the game with a lower-body injury. He played only one shift in the second period before departing.
