Blues 4, Canucks 0
ST. LOUIS -- Brian Elliott posted his third consecutive shutout and Kyle Brodziak and Robby Fabbri scored first-period goals as the St. Louis Blues clinched a playoff spot with a 4-0 win Friday night over the Vancouver Canucks.
The win also pulled the Blues into a tie with the idle Dallas Stars for first place in the Central Division with 97 points. Each team has seven games remaining in the regular season.
The loss extended the Canucks' losing streak to seven games (0-6-1), their longest in two years.
Elliott has not allowed a goal since returning from injured reserve, missing 10 games because of a knee injury. He stopped 15 shots and made 71 consecutive saves during his three consecutive shutouts, two of which have come against the Canucks. The 15 shots on goal were a season-low for Vancouver.
It is the third time in Elliott's career he recorded three consecutive shutouts, although his first streak in 2012 included a 1-0 shootout loss. He last earned three consecutive shutouts, which is the franchise record, in April 2013.
It was Elliott's fourth shutout of the season, 25th as a member of the Blues -- the franchise record -- and 34th of his NHL career. He is 9-0-1 in his last 11 starts, including the game on Feb. 22 when he was injured and not involved in the decision.
Brodziak scored what would turn out to be the only goal Elliott would need off a pass from Scotty Upshall on a 3-on-1 short-handed break 10:51 into the first period. Fabbri increased the lead to 2-0 with his 18th goal of the year at 15:25 of the opening period. Fabbri has scored four goals and added seven assists in his last 11 games.
Carl Gunnarsson made it 3-0 on a blast from just inside the blue line at 15:32 of the second period, which beat goalie Jacob Markstrom. Joel Edmundson scored the first goal of his NHL career at 12:15 of the third period to cap the Blues' scoring.
Paul Stastny and Troy Brouwer each had two assists for the Blues, who defeated the Canucks in regulation for the first time in St. Louis since Nov. 4, 2011.
It was the fourth time during their current losing streak the Canucks have been shut out. They have been outscored 22-5 in those seven games.
NOTES: D Robert Bortuzzo, a healthy scratch in nine of the last 10 games, replaced D Jay Bouwmeester in the Blues' lineup. Bouwmeester also will miss Saturday's game at Washington because of an upper-body injury. ... As insurance, the Blues recalled D Petteri Lindbohm from Chicago of the American Hockey League, but he was a healthy scratch. ... Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said G Jake Allen will start against the Capitals. ... Vancouver reassigned RW Alexandre Grenier to Utica of the AHL. He played in five games since being called up from the minors. ... RW Derek Dorsett was back in the Canucks' lineup after missing five games because of an upper-body injury. ... The Canucks return home to host the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night.