Kings 4, Blues 1
ST. LOUIS - Jeff Carter scored twice and Jonathan Bernier made 21 saves to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Monday.
Los Angeles (4-5-2) won for the second time in four games and completed a five-game road trip with a 2-3 mark.
St. Louis (6-5-1) lost for the fifth time in a row, its longest losing streak since dropping five straight from Jan. 2-12, 2011. The Blues have been outscored 26-11 during the skid.
Carter recorded his first multi-goal game since scoring twice in the Stanley Cup-clinching Game 6 win against New Jersey last season.
Bernier, in his first start of the season, stopped 10 shots in the third period. He gave up a power play goal to Alex Steen with 43 seconds left in the second period. It was his first win since March 17, 2012, when he beat Nashville 4-2.
St. Louis goalie Brian Elliott gave up four goals on the first 18 shots. He came into game having surrendered 14 goals on 63 shots in the last three contests. Elliott led the NHL in goals against (1.56) and save percentage (.940) last season.
The Blues activated Jaroslav Halak from injured reserve on Sunday, but coach Ken Hitchcock elected to start the slumping Elliott.
Davis Drewiske and Jarret Stoll also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champs.
Carter converted on a 2-on-1 off a perfect pass from Slava Voynov just over eight minutes into the contest. He scored again on a backhand shot along the ice early in the second period for his sixth of the season.
Drewiske tallied less than six minutes later to make it 3-0.
The Blues, who have scored at least one power play goal in each of the last six games, begin a three-game road trip Wednesday in Detroit.
St. Louis, which won six of its first seven this season, has lost four successive home games for the first time since Jan. 23-Feb. 6, 2010.
NOTES - The Kings first-period goal was just their fifth in 11 games. ... St. Louis defenseman Wade Redden and Los Angeles center Jordan Nolan got into an altercation 2:01 into the contest. It marked the eighth fighting major of the season for the Kings and seventh for the Blues. ... Los Angeles swept St. Louis in the Western Conference semifinal round last season, outscoring the Blues 15-6. ... Kings goalie Jonathan Quick was given the day off Monday. He is 3-8-1 against St. Louis in the regular season. ... St. Louis left wing Andy McDonald picked up his 300th assist. ... The Kings return home to face Columbus on Friday before starting a three-game road trip.
