ST. LOUIS (AP) Carter Hutton made 25 saves for his 10th career shutout and the St. Louis Blues got goals from Vladimir Sobotka and Vladimir Tarasenko in a 3-0 victory over the struggling Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.
Brayden Schenn, who also had an assist, added an empty-net goal at 17:34 of the third period. It was his 20th goal of the season.
The game was a bounce-back effort for Hutton, pulled after giving up three goals on 12 shots in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Arizona.
Hutton, normally the Blues’ backup, started for the fourth consecutive game and eighth in the last 10. He earned his second shutout this season.
The Blues have earned at least one point in 11 of their last 12 games against Ottawa (7-1-4). St. Louis had lost four straight home games to the Senators before snapping that skid.
The loss was Ottawa’s fourth in a row overall.
The Blues’ first goal came when Schenn hit Sobotka in stride. Sobotka snapped a wrist shot that defenseman Cody Ceci could not block. The puck hit the skate of Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson, who faced 38 shots in all, and caromed in at 16:21 for a 1-0 lead in the first period.
St. Louis made it 2-0 when Tarasenko ripped a slap shot for his 21st goal at 6:10 of the third. Tarasenko had just jumped onto the ice when the puck came to him along the boards. Colton Parayko took a shot from the right side that Anderson blocked and the puck slid to Tarasenko, who pounced on it for the goal.
It was Parayko’s 20th assist this season. He is the first defenseman in team history to record 20 or more assists in his first three seasons.
Tarasenko has points in six straight games against Ottawa, with five goals and two assists.
A double minor to Robert Bortuzzo for high-sticking gave Ottawa a four-minute power play in the second. The Senators managed just two shots on goal.
NOTES: Jaden Schwartz again was out of the lineup after sustaining an ankle injury Dec. 9 in Detroit. St. Louis is 8-10-1 since he was hurt. … Blues RW Scottie Upshall was back in the lineup after missing three games as a healthy scratch. … Ottawa RW Mark Stone remained out with a lower-body injury. Stone, who leads the Senators with 18 goals and 44 points, left Saturday’s game against Toronto and did not play Monday against Minnesota. … The Blues improved to 16-0-1 when leading after the first period and 22-0-1 when leading after two. … St. Louis won both games in the season series.
UP NEXT
Ottawa: Host the Boston Bruins on Thursday.
St. Louis: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.
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Hutton bounces back with shutout, Blues blank Senators 3-0
