Blues blank Capitals to continue streak

WASHINGTON -- Goaltender Jake Allen sat on the bench three games in a row and watched teammate Brian Elliott earn three consecutive shutouts. Allen just hoped he'd be able to keep up when he got his chance to play.
Allen did just that Saturday, making 32 saves to help the St. Louis Blues continue their shutout streak in a 4-0 win against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center.

"The goalies have been just outstanding," St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. "They've been the story all year. They're what have kept us afloat all year and they're doing it again."
Kyle Brodziak, Colton Parayko, Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrik Berglund scored for the Blues (45-22-9), who defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-0 last Saturday, the San Jose Sharks 1-0 on Tuesday and the Canucks 4-0 on Friday.

It's the 11th time in NHL history a team has had four straight shutouts. St. Louis is the first since the Phoenix Coyotes had five straight Dec. 31, 2003, through Jan. 9, 2004, to set a modern NHL record.
The Blues have not allowed a goal in 240:18, the longest shutout streak in their history.
"It's huge, and especially on a couple of shutouts, we've limited to the teens in the shots," Allen said. "That's an aspect from mine and Brian's standpoint where that's a credit to all the 20 guys in front of us; that's not just us. It goes to show we're on the upswing right now and we're playing well heading into the [Stanley Cup Playoffs]. We're right where we want to be."
It was Allen's sixth shutout of the season and the 11th of his NHL career.
"When we trust him to make that first save, he trusts us to get that rebound and get it out, and we're good at kind of trying to keep that second or third opportunity away from him, and that's what we did," Blues forward Paul Stastny said.

Philipp Grubauer made 25 saves for Washington (53-16-5), which missed an opportunity to clinch the Presidents' Trophy. The Capitals had not been shut out since Nov. 10, a 1-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
"We tried to press to break the goose egg, and they countered and ended up scoring," Washington coach Barry Trotz said. "It was a lot closer than the score. I think the chances will show that. ... I thought Jake Allen for them was really good tonight. But it should've been a little closer than it was, probably."
Brodziak opened the scoring at 4:45 of the second period. The puck trickled through Grubauer's pads into the paint, and Brodziak swatted in his fifth goal of the season and second in as many games.
Parayko made it 2-0 at 11:05 of the second with a goal at 4-on-4. He went end to end, beat two Capitals defensemen and scored five-hole on Grubauer. It was the rookie defenseman's eighth goal of the season but first in 20 games.
Tarasenko scored to make it 3-0 at 12:45 of the second. Forward Jori Lehtera fed Tarasenko with a cross-ice pass, and Tarasenko put a wrist shot past Grubauer for his 35th goal.

Berglund scored his ninth goal with 2:15 remaining in the third period to make it 4-0.
The Capitals needed to earn at least a point against the Blues to clinch the Presidents' Trophy after the Dallas Stars defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-2 earlier Saturday.
"They're the biggest team in the League," Trotz said of St. Louis. "They play a real heavy type of game, they make hard plays. They got a couple timely saves."
Capitals forward T.J. Oshie missed his second consecutive game with the flu. He did not play Friday in a 1-0 overtime win against the New Jersey Devils.
The Blues host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. The Capitals can clinch home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs Monday when the Columbus Blue Jackets visit.