Avalanche score 4 in 1st period, shut out Blues

DENVER -- Jonathan Drouin scored twice and had an assist during a four-goal first period for the Colorado Avalanche, who defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-0 at Ball Arena on Friday.

Martin Necas, Cale Makar and Joel Kiviranta also scored for the Avalanche (30-21-2), who have won two of three. Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves for his second shutout of the season (first with Colorado).

“Just all around a good hockey game from our group,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “Like all four lines going again, so no passengers, and really, no lapses. I felt like our focus [was] on the details of our game along with the competitiveness you need, the determination. They were communicating on the ice, which I like to see. [Penalty kill] did its job, power play did its job. Great bounce-back game from our goaltending.”

Joel Hofer made 31 saves for the Blues (23-25-4), who have lost four straight.

“Just a poor effort by us. We weren't good enough tonight. We need to be significantly better,” St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery said. “We haven't had the right frame of mind right now with everything that's happened in the last week, and we need to get back to thinking about being on our toes and being in an aggressive mindset instead of thinking about what's transpired in the past or what can go poorly.”

Drouin gave Colorado a 1-0 lead at 4:57 of the first period when he batted Juuso Parssinen’s centering pass out of the air from the edge of the crease. The puck had originally caromed off the end boards before Parssinen swatted it out in front from behind the net.

“The first one, [it's] just a puck that pops out,” Drouin said. “I'm trying to hit it in the air and kind of got it. At least I was able to get some good wood on it.”

Said Parssinen: “It's not easy, of course. That's a high-skill [play], and that's a nice play by him.”

Necas made it 2-0 at 7:39. He skated through the neutral zone and into the high slot before beating Hofer glove side with a wrist shot that went through the legs of Cam Fowler.

It was Necas' first goal in four games with Colorado since being acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen last Friday.

“He gets in the slot, shoots it. I think he's got a really good shot, and we need to encourage him to shoot. If he shoots more, he'll score more,” Bednar said. “I think he does so many things well, and he's got great offensive instincts. I think he's going to be able to contribute on a nightly basis if he's playing well and their line’s playing well.”

Drouin extended the lead to 3-0 with a power-play goal at 14:43. Alexey Toropchenko cleared a loose puck during a scramble in front of the net right to Drouin, who beat Hofer glove side from the right circle.

“The goalie's just kind of out of his net, so I shot it right away,” Drouin said. "It's nice to get two goals on the power play. Our power play hasn't been great lately.”

Makar made it 4-0 at 17:25 with another power-play goal, this one coming on a wrist shot through a screen from above the circles.

Colorado outshot St. Louis 21-6 in the first period.

“Didn't start on time. [It's been] multiple games in row now and it costs us,” Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “I just think the battle level has to come up early and be ready to start. You give them time and space and you give them opportunities to score goals -- and I'm not just talking tonight, previous games, too -- teams are good, players are good, and they're going to make it happen.”

Kiviranta pushed it to 5-0 at 13:21 of the third period, roofing a wrist shot glove side from the low slot.

NOTES: Forward Nathan MacKinnon had the primary assist on Makar’s goal, his 60th of the season. He is the third player in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history to have three consecutive seasons with at least 60 assists, joining Peter Stastny (six from 1980-81 to 1985-86) and Joe Sakic (three from 1989-90 to 1991-92). … Blues defenseman Ryan Suter played in his 1,496th game, moving him ahead of Phil Housley for seventh among defensemen in NHL history.