Blues ride Hutton shutout past sliding Senators
Brayden Schenn netted his 20th goal of the season in a two-point outing and Carter Hutton stopped 25 shots for his second shutout of the campaign as the St. Louis Blues beat the Ottawa Senators 3-0 Tuesday night in St. Louis.
Vladimir Sobotka and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for the Blues, who have won three of their last four games.
The end result was one-sided, and the Blues were by far the better team from start to finish, but it was a close affair until the third period at the Scottrade Center
The Blues came flying out of the gates, and were finally rewarded for it when Sobotka opened the scoring late in the first period. Sobotka took a long pass from Schenn just before he entered the offensive zone, and used Ottawa defensemen Cody Ceci as a screen when he wristed a shot under the leg of goalie Craig Anderson for his ninth goal of the season. It matches a career high for the left wing who returned after three years in the KHL.
Tarasenko's 21st goal of the season doubled the lead six minutes into the third period. Anderson stopped a point shot but the rebound went all the way to the top of the circle on the other side of the rink, and Tarasenko -- who came off the bench and stepped into the shot -- unloaded a rocket that blazed too fast for the netminder to get across his crease and be in position.
Schenn rounded out the scoring with an empty-net goal.
The Senators can kick themselves for wasting a four-minute man-advantage early in the second period while down 1-0. They came within an inch as Derick Brassard rang a shot off the post, blowing a golden opportunity.
Anderson made 38 saves for the Senators, who are now on a four-game losing skid.
--Field Level Media
