The Associated Press
CHICAGO–No Stanley Cup slump for St. Louis so far.
The Blues just keep rolling along.
Jake Allen made 38 saves, Brayden Schenn scored his team-leading 14th goal and St. Louis beat the short-handed Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 last night for its fourth consecutive victory.
Jaden Schwartz, Tyler Bozak and Mackenzie MacEachern also scored for the Blues, who improved to 13-3-3 since star forward Vladimir Tarasenko was sidelined by a left shoulder injury that required surgery.
So much for that championship hangover. The Blues (18-5-6) show no signs of slowing down coming off the franchise’s first Stanley Cup title.
It was Allen’s first shutout of the season and No. 20 for his career, matching Jaroslav Halak for second on the franchise list. Brian Elliott leads the way with 25.
Chicago lost for the sixth time in seven games since a four-game win streak. The crowd of 21,284 booed after the final seconds ticked off.
The last-place Blackhawks (10-12-5) played a man short because of injuries and the salary cap, going with 11 forwards and six defencemen.
Andrew Shaw was scratched with an unspecified injury, and fellow forwards Dylan Strome and Drake Caggiula remain out with concussions. Chicago defenceman Duncan Keith missed his second straight game with a groin injury, and goaltender Robin Lehner was ruled out with an illness.
Chicago also announced before the game that assistant Marc Crawford will be away from the team while it reviews his conduct with another organization. The 58-year-old Crawford joined Colliton’s staff in June.
The Blackhawks didn’t provide any details about what they are examining, but former NHL forward Sean Avery recently told the New York Post that Crawford kicked him after he was whistled for a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty when he played for Crawford with the Los Angeles Kings during the 2006-07 season.
St. Louis went ahead to stay when MacEachern scored for the second straight game 2:34 into the first period.
Vince Dunn’s shot went off the backboards and right in front to a wide-open MacEachern, who batted it in for his fourth of the season.
Schwartz made it 2-0 when he tipped Alex Pietrangelo’s power-play shot past a screened Crawford at 14:22 of the first.
The Blues put it away with two more in the third. Schenn drove a tumbling puck by Crawford at 8:56, and Bozak scored off a turnover by Blackhawks defenceman Olli Maatta with 1:49 left.
The Blackhawks had a couple of prime scoring opportunities, but came up empty. Alex DeBrincat hit a post late in the second.
Patrick Kane’s 15-game point streak ended.
In other NHL action last night, Buffalo routed New Jersey 7-1; Vegas dumped the N.Y. Rangers 4-1; the N.Y. Islanders downed Detroit 4-1; and Anaheim doubled L.A. 4-2.
