Blues 5, Avalanche 1
DENVER -- David Backes scored early in a three-goal first period, Vladimir Tarasenko had two assists, and the St. Louis Blues beat the reeling Colorado Avalanche 5-1 on Sunday night.
Alex Pietrangelo, Troy Brouwer, Colton Parayko and Magnus Paajarvi also had goals for the Blues, who lost goalie Jake Allen to an undisclosed injury.
St. Louis (47-23-9) stayed four points ahead of third-place Chicago and kept alive its hopes for catching Dallas in the Central Division.
The Blues trailed the Stars by two points after their win while Dallas was playing later in Anaheim.
Allen appeared to get injured making one of his 11 saves late in the first period. He was replaced by Anders Nilsson, who had 19 saves in the last 40 minutes.
Allen missed 17 games earlier this season with a lower-body injury.
Mikkel Boedker scored a goal late in the third and Calvin Pickard had 23 saves in relief of Semyon Varlamov, who was pulled after allowing three goals on 14 shots in the first period.
Boedker scored at 15:46 of the third but Brouwer got his 17th on an empty-netter with 2:55 left.
Colorado's hopes for a late-season push to make the playoffs are almost over. The Avalanche (39-36-4) trail Minnesota by five points with three games remaining, and another regulation loss or a Wild victory will eliminate them for the second straight season.
The Wild lost in Winnipeg on Sunday.
The Blues struck early to build a 3-0 lead after the first period. Backes' 21st goal of the season, on the power play, came on a 2-on-1 with Tarasenko at 5:30.
Paajarvi made it 2-0 when he whacked at the puck a couple of times and put it between Varlamov and the post at 8:56. It was his third of the season.
Parayko finished the rally with a one-timer from the top of the right circle that went through Varlamov's legs at 16:09.
Calvin Pickard replaced Varlamov to start the second period but St. Louis was able to expand the lead on Pietrangelo's seventh goal of the season at 3:26.
NOTES: Avalanche D Nikita Zadorov was out of the lineup with a concussion suffered in Friday's loss to Washington. Zadorov was hurt when he was hit by Capitals RW Tom Wilson. ... Blues D Jay Bouwmeester (upper-body injury) and C Robby Fabbri (lower body) resumed skating. D Carl Gunnarsson was back after missing three games with a lower-body injury. ... Avalanche C Nathan MacKinnon missed his seventh straight game with a knee injury. He still has not resumed skating and could be done for the season. ... St. Louis G Brian Elliott did not accompany the team to Denver for the one-game trip.