Lightning 4, Blues 2: Brett Connolly scored his first goal of the season 8:37 into the third period to snap a tie and Tampa Bay held off visiting St. Louis for its fifth win in five games against Western Conference opponents.

Connolly redirected defenseman Radko Gudas’ shot under Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak’s right arm to give the Lightning a 3-2 lead, and Valtteri Filppula added an insurance tally with 3:59 left. Alex Killorn had a goal and two assists while Steven Stamkos recorded his 11th goal in 11 games and Ben Bishop made 28 saves for Tampa Bay.

Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and Jaden Schwartz scored goals for St. Louis, which saw its six-game point streak end. Halak turned aside 21 shots and Alexander Steen, the league’s leading goal scorer, was held without one for the first time in seven games for the Blues.

Pietrangelo scored a goal for the fourth consecutive game with a wrist shot from the right point that beat Bishop through a screen 7:50 into the contest. Killorn tied the game a little less than three minutes later, ripping a low shot past Halak from the left circle after his first attempt was blocked.

Stamkos toe-dragged the puck around a fallen Pietrangelo and whipped a shot under the bar to give Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead 1:43 into the second. Schwartz equalized 2:02 later when he stole the puck from Lightning defenseman Matt Carle and beat Bishop to his stick side.

GAME NOTEBOOK: St. Louis came in with the league’s top power play, but Tampa Bay killed all three opportunities for the Blues and has allowed only one goal while down a man in the last nine games. … St. Louis C Patrik Berglund’s assist in the second period was the 100th of his career. … Tampa Bay D Mark Barberio earned his first NHL point in his sixth career game with an assist on Stamkos’ second-period goal.