Allen starts for Blues against Canucks in Game 3 of Western First Round

Jake Allen is the starting goalie for the St. Louis Blues against the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Sunday (NBCSN, SN, FS-MW).

Allen replaces Jordan Binnington, who allowed nine goals on 47 shots losing the first two games of the best-of-7 series, including four on 25 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 2 on Friday. Binnington is 0-4-0 with a 4.27 goals-against average and .862 save percentage this postseason.

Forwards Vladimir Tarasenko, Alexander Steen and Troy Brouwer are not in the Blues lineup. Tarasenko and Steen are considered unfit to play. MacKenzie MacEachern, Jordan Kyrou and Jacob de la Rose are replacing them.

Defenseman Tyler Myers is out for the Canucks and is being replaced by Jordie Benn. Myers was injured early in the third period of Game 2.

Allen is making his first Stanley Cup Playoffs start since May 7, 2017. This postseason, he started the last of the Blues' three games in the round-robin portion of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, making 37 saves in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on Aug. 9.

Allen was 12-6-3 with a 2.15 GAA, .927 save percentage and two shutouts in 24 games (21 starts) this season. He won his last four starts with five goals against (1.23 GAA, .953 save percentage, one shutout).

Binnington helped the Blues win the Stanley Cup last season, starting all 26 games and going 16-10 with a 2.46 GAA, .914 save percentage and one shutout.

Teams that lose the first three games are 4-190 (2.1 percent) winning a best-of-7 NHL series.

Tarasenko has no points in four postseason games. He was limited to 10 games in the regular season, none after Oct. 24, and did not play in the round-robin game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Aug. 6, a 6-4 loss.

Steen has no points in four postseason games. He was unfit to play in Game 1, and played 8:59 in Game 2.