Jake Allen, Blues shut out Kings

ST. LOUIS -- Jake Allen isn't letting the St. Louis Blues' recent scoring struggles affect his game.
For the fifth time in six games the Blues scored one goal, but Jaden Schwartz's goal 3:43 into the third period stood up because Allen made 27 saves in a 1-0 victory against the Los Angeles Kings at Scottrade Center on Saturday.

"No, I don't think that way," Allen said. "That's when they score on you. You just keep playing your game and try not to let anything phase you. If you need one goal, if you need a shutout, so be it, but you don't want to get too far ahead of yourself. It's just sort of one minute at a time."
The shutout was the 12th of Allen's NHL career and helped the Blues (5-2-2) end a three-game homestand 1-1-1 despite scoring one goal in each game.
"Nobody really cares a month from now what the score is going to be; they just care is it a 'W' or is it a loss," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "I was happier today with the quality of scoring chances. The first 15 or 20 games are like playoffs and that's what it feels like right now. Every game right now feels like an immense playoff game. The intensity level is through the roof."

Schwartz scored 3:43 into the third period, but the Kings challenged that the Blues entered the zone offside. After a review, the play was upheld.
The goal was the first for a Blues forward in 169:22 (Alexander Steen empty-net goal Oct. 22 against the Calgary Flames), and first for a forward with a goalie in net in 181:53.
Peter Budaj made 24 saves for the Kings (4-4-0), who had their four-game winning streak end.
"It was a pretty well-played game," said Kings coach Darryl Sutter, who stayed at 599 career coaching victories. "Both goalies made some big saves to keep the score what it was going into the third."

Goal of the game

Blues center Jori Lehtera checked Kings forward Trevor Lewis off the side boards following a backhand attempt by Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin. Lehtera received the puck from forward Vladimir Tarasenko and fed Schwartz in the slot.

Save of the game

Blues forward Paul Stastny thought he scored, but Peter Budaj was able to move right to left and get his left skate on a shot Stastny didn't get all of after getting a pass from Alexander Steen with 15:06 left in the first period.

Highlight of the game

Budaj robbed Blues left wing Robby Fabbri, who was sent in on a pass from Patrik Berglund, but Budaj was quick with the right pad and made the save with 10:31 left in the first.

Unsung moment of the game

Jake Allen was able to get a glove on a shot from Kings center Anze Kopitar from the high slot with 7:41 left in the second, but the rebound fell to the stick of Tanner Pearson, who was denied by Allen with the left pad with 7:34 remaining.

They said it

"That was a good pass by [Tarasenko], a nice Bulgarian pass. Then [Schwartz] got a good spot there, a good goal." -- Blues center Jori Lehtera
"Find ways to get points with one goal. ... The goals will come. Tonight was a big win. Whether it's 1-0, 4-0, doesn't really matter. A huge win to cap off what would have been a rough homestand for us and take some momentum on the road." -- Blues goalie Jake Allen
"The goalies set the tone, obviously. They were good, but yeah, usually the score is 1-0, 2-1. It doesn't get much more exciting than that, but I think both teams played hard. It's just a matter of finding one to put in the net, and they did and we didn't." --Kings center Anze Kopitar
"I think it's just sometimes good players make a good play. It's a nice play for them, give credit to them. It was too bad we couldn't get at least one or two, but it works sometimes that way. Sometimes you get bounces and sometimes you don't." -- Kings goalie Peter Budaj

Need to know

Kings defenseman Brayden McNabb (upper-body injury) left the game in the third period after Blues defenseman Colton Parayko fell on top of him. ... The St. Louis penalty kill is 31-for-33 (93.9 percent, second in the NHL) after killing off all five Los Angeles power plays.

What's next

Kings: At the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; CSN-CH, FS-W, NHL.TV)
Blues: At the New York Rangers on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MSG PLUS, FS-MW, NHL.TV)