ST. LOUIS _ The Blues decided to stick with Carter Hutton for another game and it paid off, as he posted his second shutout of the season as the Blues bounced back from the Arizona loss on Saturday with a 3-0 win over Ottawa on Tuesday at Scottrade Center.
The Blues were in control of the game throughout, taking a 1-0 lead in the first on a goal by Vladimir Sobotka and getting an insurance goal in the third period from Vladimir Tarasenko, who rocketed in a long rebound of a shot by Colton Parayko for his 21st goal of the season. Brayden Schenn added an empty-net goal with 2:26 to play to seal the victory. Schenn also had an assist on Sobotka's goal, giving the All-Star 49 points this season.
This shutout was a lot easier than Hutton's other one, a 48-save effort against Winnipeg on Dec. 16. It's the 10th career shutout for Hutton, who had four last season.
This may complicate plans to get Jake Allen back in goal before the All-Star break. The Blues have one more game, against Colorado, on Thursday before the break. If Allen doesn't get the start in that game, he will go at least three weeks between starts, though he did play almost a full game against Arizona after Hutton got pulled seven minutes in.
Tarasenko's goal came with 13:50 to go in the third. Parayko took a shot from the right point that Craig Anderson saved, but the rebound bounced all the way to the other side of the ice, where Tarasenko, just on to the ice on a line change, shot a laser beam past Anderson. Tarasenko has four goals in his past six games.
