Schenn opens game with fight, scores twice as Blues bury Avs 6-1
ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn wasted little time in providing a much-needed spark on home ice.
Schenn scored twice and Vince Dunn had a career-high three assists to help the St. Louis Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-1 on Thursday night.
Schenn's fight with Gabriel Landeskog three seconds into the game set the tone.
"I thought we'd been a little bit flat at home lately," Schenn said. "You can try and start different ways, try to be physical early or offensive early. ... I don't do it often, but it's part of the game and it's good to get one every once in a while."
Blues coach Mike Yeo knew something was brewing when Patrik Berglund lined up to take the opening faceoff instead of Schenn.
"I know people have different opinions of fighting in the game or whatever, but it sends a message to your team," Yeo said.
Landeskog was also trying to give the Avalanche a spark.
"We've got to be better on the road so I figure, 'start off the road trip and set the tone,' and that was really it," Landeskog said. "He asked me and I didn't have one this year so why not?"
That REALLY escalated quickly. Schenn - Landeskog drop the gloves right after the opening faceoff.
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Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist, and Ivan Barbashev, Kyle Brodziak and Alex Pietrangelo also scored. The Blues scored more than four goals for the first time since Dec. 9 as 13 of the team's 18 skaters had at least one point.
Carter Hutton made 23 saves as St. Louis beat Colorado for the fourth straight time. The Blues have earned points against the Avalanche in 12 consecutive games.
Dunn is the Blues' first rookie defenseman to have three assists in a game since Erik Johnson on Jan. 8, 2008.
"I was just trying to play simple and make the plays over there and everybody contributed tonight," Dunn said.
Gabriel Bourque scored for the Avalanche, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Semyon Varlamov allowed three goals in relief of Jonathan Bernier after he allowed three goals in 20 shots.
The Blues took control on goals by Barbashev and Schenn 48 seconds apart early in the second period.
Barbashev's goal, beating Bernier short-side from a difficult angle at the left faceoff circle, broke a 1-1 tie at 4:17 of the second.
Schenn's second of the game made it 3-1 and ended Bernier's night. It was Schenn's third multi-goal game this season.
Brodziak and Pietrangelo blew the game open with goals later in the second and Stastny scored six minutes into the third period.
"I thought everyone stepped up tonight, everyone played a good game from the goalie out," Schenn said. "Guys were getting rewarded, which was good to see."
Schenn put the Blues on top 1-0 with a power-play goal at 8:41 of the first period. Schenn's 300th career point came off of a Jaden Schwartz slap shot off of Bernier's pad that deflected directly to his tape.
The Blues lost defensemen Joel Edmundson (upper body) for the rest of the game eight minutes into the first after he blocked a shot from Colorado's Nail Yakupov. Yeo said he is definitely out for Friday's game at Winnipeg.
"When a guy goes down, everybody's got to step up and everybody's got to contribute like the way we did," Dunn said.
Bourque tied it at 1 at 2:50 of the second, capitalizing on Vladimir Sobotka's giveaway.
"We have to be better," Landeskog said. "I mean you look at the score, it's embarrassing."
FACES IN THE CROWD
Commissioner Gary Bettman and Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey were at the game. Both league heads were shown the improvements to the Scottrade Center as part of $64 million in renovations to the 24-year-old facility.
NOTES: Brodziak played in his 200th game as a Blue. ... Avalanche F Mikko Rantanen (lower body) returned to the lineup after missing his first game of the season on Tuesday. ... The Blues scratched R Chris Thorburn, D Robert Bortuzzo and C Oskar Sundqvist. ... The Avalanche scratched L A.J. Greer, C Nathan MacKinnon and D Andrei Mironov.
UP NEXT
Avalanche: At Carolina on Saturday night.
Blues: At Winnipeg on Friday night.
