Bergeron helps Bruins top Blues

ST. LOUIS – Patrice Bergeron had four assists, two on power-play goals and another short-handed, to help the Boston Bruins beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2 Monday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Milan Lucic got the go-ahead goal midway through the second period and Marco Sturm scored short-handed midway through the third for a two-goal cushion on Boston’s 20th shot against Chris Mason.

Blake Wheeler and Mark Recchi also scored for the defending Northeast Division champions, who are 11-8-4.

They had twice won consecutive games this season before beating St. Louis for only the third time in 18 meetings since 1996-97.

Bergeron was one assist shy of his career best at Ottawa on Dec. 19, 2006. He almost got a goal in the third but was thwarted by Mason’s spectacular glove save.

Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo had a goal and an assist, and Keith Tkachuk scored on a deflection for the Blues, who failed in an attempt for their first three-game winning streak. St. Louis had won consecutive games for the first time since taking a pair from the Red Wings in Sweden to open the season.

Boston has points in eight of its last nine games and got a strong game from backup goalie Tuukka Rask, who made his third start in place of Tim Thomas (lower-body injury). Marc Savard returned after missing 15 games with a broken left foot.

Boston had three one-goal leads before Sturm’s short-handed goal.

Notes

n Tkachuk, a native of Melrose, Mass., has 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 26 career games against Boston. He also scored his 200th goal with St. Louis.

n David Backes has a 16-game goal drought and Paul Kariya’s is at 14 for the Blues.

n The Bruins are 3-13-2 against the Blues since 1996-97.

n The Blues have had eight sellouts in 14 home games.

Laraque suspended five games for hit on Kronwall

TORONTO – The NHL suspended Montreal Canadiens enforcer Georges Laraque five games for a hit on Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall.

Laraque received the suspension for an incident on Nov. 21. against the Red Wings when he collided with Kronwall resulting in a leg-on-leg, open-ice hit.

The NHL said Laraque, who was assessed a minor penalty for tripping on the play, deliberately extended his knee and, through his actions, caused an injury to Kronwall.

Kronwall will be out four to eight weeks with a sprained ligament in his left knee because of the hit.

Laraque will lose $38,860 in salary over five games. He will be eligible to return Dec. 4 against Boston.