Blues show depth in victory over Blue Jackets
ST. LOUIS -- In getting off to one of the best starts in the NHL, the St. Louis Blues have relied on contributions throughout their roster.
Saturday night was no different. Vladimir Sobotka and Scottie Upshall each notched their first goals, while Jake Allen stopped 36 shots as St. Louis dumped the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 at Scottrade Center.
Defenseman Joel Edmundson added his third goal for the Blues (9-2-1), which tied Los Angeles for the most points (19) in the Western Conference. Kyle Brodziak also tallied his second goal. The fourth line of Upshall, Brodziak and Dmitrij Jaskin combined for two goals and five assists.
Matt Calvert potted the only goal for Columbus (7-4-0), which got 38 saves from backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo as starter Sergei Bobrovsky got the night off after winning on Friday night.
St. Louis controlled play for most of the first period, but couldn't solve Korpisalo until Sobotka found a loose puck behind the goalie in the crease after a Colton Parayko shot. Sobotka stuffed the rebound home at 19:26 on the Blues' 15th shot of the period.
Upshall made it 2-0 at 6:31 of the second when Edmundson's shot caromed off his skate and just inside the left post.
Edmundson upped the advantage to 3-0 at 1:29 of the third period, finishing an odd-man rush with a wrister from the left circle that beat Korpisalo to the stick side.
Calvert, who was denied on two other point-blank opportunities by Allen, put the Blue Jackets on the board with a wrister from the right circle at 6:21. Oliver Bjorkstrand made a nice cross-ice pass and Calvert surgically finished.
However, Brodziak ended the game's competitive phase at 13:23 by tapping home the rebound of Jaskin's shot at the right post.
It was the fifth win in six games for St. Louis, which started a four-game homestand.
NOTES: St. Louis called up G Ville Husso from San Antonio of the AHL to back up starter Jake Allen. Backup Carter Hutton's wife is due to give birth to their first child. Husso was 2-1-0 with a 2.69 GAA in three games for the Rampage. ... Columbus entered the game third in the NHL in shots per game at 36.5, having outshot nine of its first 10 opponents. ... The Blue Jackets scratched D Scott Harrington and LW Markus Hannikainen. ... Joining Hutton on the scratch list for the Blues were RW Chris Thorburn and D Nate Prosser.