Marty gets 125th shutout, Blues top Avs
Official game recap St. Louis Blues vs Colorado Avalanche.Martin Brodeur's 125th NHL shutout came with limited work for the St. Louis Blues.
Brodeur moved one step closer to 700 victories with No. 691, his first shutout since Dec. 14, 2013, by making 16 saves, and the Blues ended a four-game losing streak with a 3-0 win against the Colorado Avalanche at Scottrade Center on Monday.
Brodeur added to his NHL record for shutouts with his first with the Blues. His prior start against the Avalanche, on March 15, 2012 with the New Jersey Devils, also was a shutout. He has stopped 38 consecutive shots against the Avalanche (13-15-8).
The Blues (22-11-3), who travel to play the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, got a goal each from Dmitrij Jaskin, Chris Butler and Vladimir Tarasenko. Former Avalanche center Paul Stastny had two assists, his first points against his former team since signing with the Blues as a free agent this summer.
The Avalanche, who shut out the Blues 5-0 at home on Dec. 23, got 22 saves from Semyon Varlamov.
Jaskin gave the Blues a 1-0 lead when Stastny picked off Varlamov's clearing attempt along the boards. He fed Jaskin in the slot, and the left wing flipped a shot harmlessly past former Blues defenseman Erik Johnson and through Varlamov's pads 28 seconds into the second period.
Butler, from the suburb of Kirkwood, Mo., scored his first goal with the Blues when he took T.J. Oshie's drop pass along the left boards, skated to the front of the net and lifted a backhand over Varlamov's right shoulder at the near post 4:30 into the second for a 2-0 lead.
Tarasenko's team-leading 22nd goal (a career high) came after the Avalanche couldn't clear a puck in the slot, and his wrist shot beat Varlamov with 4:35 remaining in the game.
Brodeur was called upon to make his best saves after a Barret Jackman giveaway in the first period. He stopped Marc-Andre Cliche's long-range shot and the rebound on Nick Holden coming in off the left side 6:17 into the game.
Blues forward Chris Porter sustained a lower-body injury 6:30 into the second period. He went to finish a check on Colorado's Nick Holden, the two got tangled up, and Porter went down awkwardly on his left leg. He needed to be helped off the ice.
Eurolanche.com, Worldwide, eurolanche@eurolanche.com
30/12/2014 - 04:42
