Barbashev propels Blues past Ducks

ANAHEIM -- The St. Louis Blues moved within one point of the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference with a 4-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Monday.
Ivan Barbashev had a goal and an assist for the second straight game and Alex Pietrangelo had two assists for the Blues (37-27-5), who are one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card. St. Louis hosts Colorado on Thursday.

Jake Allen made 20 saves for the Blues, who fell out of playoff position during a seven-game losing streak from Feb. 11-27. Allen has stopped 92 of 97 shots in the three games since taking over for Carter Hutton, who has a sore neck.
WATCH: [All Blues vs. Ducks highlights]
"We've still got a lot of work to do," Blues coach Mike Yeo said. "We're still on the outside looking in, but a little bit closer."
Corey Perry and Derek Grant scored for the Ducks (34-24-12), who have lost three straight and are tied with the Avalanche for the second wild card with 80 points but have played two more games. The Los Angeles Kings moved one point ahead of Anaheim for third place in the Pacific Division with a 3-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday.
John Gibson made 19 saves for the Ducks, whose nine-game point streak at home ended (7-0-2).
"It's not a frustration with our effort," Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said. "It's a frustration with the fact that we're having trouble understanding what it takes shift in and shift out every period at this time of year."
Robert Bortuzzo scored just inside the left post to give St. Louis a 1-0 lead at 17:30 of the first period. Brayden Schenn took possession of the puck at the red line, pulled up above the left circle and sent a pass to Pietrangelo, who had just crossed the blue line. Two defenders went to Pietrangelo and he swept a backhand pass to Bortuzzo coming down the middle alone.

Barbashev made it 2-0 three minutes into the second period when he scored off a rebound on Pietrangelo's point shot.
Perry scored his 15th of the season when Getzlaf skated away from the net, turned and spotted Perry near the far post. Getzlaf centered a pass that Perry redirected at 4:17 of the second to make it 2-1.
The Blues restored a two-goal lead when Jordan Schmaltz passed from the right point to Vladimir Sobotka near the left post. He stopped the puck with his backhand, spun and scored between Gibson's pads to make it 3-1 at 16:50 of the second period.
Grant made it 3-2 at 6:15 of the third when he tipped a shot over Allen's glove on a shot from Chris Kelly from the top of the right face-off circle.
Berglund made it 4-2 at 11:28.
"We have to find a new level," Yeo said. "Whatever we were bringing before, we have to find a new level."

Goal of the game

Sobotka's goal at 16:50 of the second period.

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Save of the game

Allen against Getzlaf at 1:55 of the first period.

Highlight of the game

Berglund's goal at 11:28 of the third period.

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They said it

"We're getting back to our identity. You see a lot of those shifts that, when you think of St. Louis Blues hockey, that's what it looks like. It's hard hockey. It's intense. It's a puck-control game, and we've been doing a better job of that." -- Blues coach Mike Yeo
"We need to understand there is a certain type of game that's being played right now. We've given the opposition too many gifts in the last little while." -- Ducks coach Randy Carlyle

Need to know

St. Louis has scored 11 goals in the past two games after having 14 in the previous 10. … The Blues have won two in a row for the first time since a 6-1 win against the Avalanche on Feb. 8-9. … St. Louis is 20-0-2 when leading after the first period. Only the Blues, Canucks and Washington Capitals have not lost in regulation when leading after the first. … Ducks forward Adam Henrique played in his 500th NHL game. … Getzlaf has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in a six-game point streak; Perry has nine points (three goals, six assists) in the past seven. … Anaheim has killed 24 consecutive penalties at home dating to Jan. 23 against the New York Rangers. … The Ducks lost in regulation at home for the second time since Dec. 27.

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What's next

Blues: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; FS-MW, ALT2, NHL.TV)
Ducks: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; PRIME, SNP, NHL.TV)