ST. LOUIS (AP) — Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz each had a goal and an assist to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in a matchup between two of the NHL's top teams Monday night.
Carl Gunnarsson scored the game-winner and Vladimir Sobotka added an empty-netter for the Blues, who improved to 10-2-1 to match the franchise's best start set in 1997. Jake Allen made 26 saves as St. Louis remained the only unbeaten team on home ice this season (5-0).
Tanner Pearson and Dustin Brown scored for the Kings, who had their three-game winning streak snapped and fell to 9-2-1. Jonathan Quick made 26 saves.
Tarasenko and Schwartz continued their strong play against Los Angeles. Tarasenko has 14 points in 15 career games and Schwartz has six points in his last five games against the Kings.
Tarasenko made it 1-0 Blues, breaking a five-game goal drought, at 7:25 of the second period. Schwartz picked off Derek Forbort's pass at center ice and found Tarasenko streaking in on the left side.
Three minutes later, Schwartz cleaned up the rebound of Brayden Schenn's shot to make it 2-0.
Allen robbed Pearson with a glove save after Pearson found himself alone in front with 7:52 left in the second.
Pearson made good on his second chance, putting a backhand past Allen with 6:40 left in the second after he got behind Gunnarsson for a breakaway to cut the St. Louis lead to 2-1.
Gunnarsson made up for the defensive lapse with his third goal of the season with 3:41 left in the second. The Kings unsuccessfully challenged the goal, claiming Kyle Brodziak interfered with Quick.
Brown deflected Drew Doughty's shot for a power-play goal 58 seconds later, cutting the St. Louis advantage to 3-2. It was Brown's 79th power-play goal, tying Charlie Simmer for seventh on the Kings' career list.
NOTES: Doughty played in his 700th career game. . Schenn was selected by the Kings with the fifth pick in the 2009 draft. ... The Kings scratched D Oscar Fantenberg and C Nick Shore. . The Blues scratched RW Chris Thorburn, D Nate Prosser and G Ville Husso.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
Blues: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.
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