DENVER _ The Blues had reason to celebrate Sunday's first goal against the Colorado Avalanche, but Paul Stastny had one even more special.
The Blues had just six goals in a five-game winning streak and were coming off a shutout in Winnipeg. So when Stastny tapped one in on the power play less than our minutes after the puck dropped, the team congregated in front of the net for one of the rare times in recent weeks.
Then, Stastny skated over to the glass behind the Colorado net, where seated 15 feet away in the front row of Section 112 of the Pepsi Center were wife Hayley and daughter Riley were clapping for dad's 17th goal of the season.
The Blues added goals from Kyle Brodziak and Patrik Berglund and Jake Allen made 27 saves for his third shutout of the season in a 3-0 win over Colorado. It was the team's sixth shutout in its last 14 road games and mercifully ended a five-game losing streak in front of a crowd that at times Sunday was cheering "Let's Go Blues!"
The Blues' first win since Feb. 16 gave the Blues 69 points, leaping them over Los Angeles and back into the second wildcard in Western Conference standings. They have 18 games remaining, including in-hand on LA, as they head to Minnesota to wrap up a three-game road trip.
The trip began with a 3-0 shutout loss in Winnipeg on Friday, and the Blues could not afford to drop the middle game against Colorado, which entering the game dead last in the NHL with 37 points. The Avalanche had lost 11 of their last 13 and were waxed 6-1 by Winnipeg on Saturday. They were playing the second night of a back-to-back on Sunday, and the Blues were waiting for them in Denver.
Mike Yeo and the players were basically begging for more desperation from the onset Sunday, and they got it.
The Blues went on an early power play and capitalized with Stastny's goal for a 1-0 lead just 3:56 into the game.
Vladimir Tarasenko fumbled the puck but kept it in the zone, and then set up Stastny with a wide-open look in front of Colorado goalie Jeremy Smith. He burned it, giving the player who spent eight seasons with the Avalanche a goal against every team in the NHL.
Hayley and Riley might not have known that, but that mattered little as they traded smiles.
They weren't the only ones happy Sunday.
Brodziak was a healthy scratch for the first time this season Friday in Winnipeg, but was back in the lineup in Colorado. He gave the Blues a 2-0 lead just 5:33 into the game.
The fourth line got a good forecheck from Scottie Upshall and Ryan Reaves creating a turnover behind the net. The puck slipped out to Brodziak and he netted No. 8 this season with an assist going to Reaves for No. 6.
The goal was the Blues' first at even-strength in three games, covering nine periods.
Allen didn't need to make many saves to shutout the Avalanche, who were blanked for the 11th time in 64 games this season, but he passed a few tests, including one from Rene Bourque early in the second period.
Not long after Allen's save, the Blues stretched their lead to 3-0 on Berglund's 18th goal of the season.
It came on the power play, which went two for four Sunday. Berglund took a pass from defenseman Colton Parayko and ripped a one-timer by Smith with 9:49 left in the middle period.
Berglund hadn't scored since his hat trick in Montreal Feb. 11, snapping a seven-game scoring drought.
The Blues held down the fort in the third period, with Allen making 10 of his 27 saves. The hardest shot he took was from Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog that hit him in the mask.
Allen was shaken up on the play, but stayed in the game and helped the Blues close out his 14th career shutout, surpassing Roman Turek for fourth all-time in franchise history, and a much-needed win.
