Blues Too Much For Panthers 7-0
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jaroslav Halak set a franchise record with his 17th shutout and Alex Steen scored on a penalty shot to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 7-0 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
Newcomers Brenden Morrow and Derek Roy scored their first goals of the season for St. Louis, which received goals from seven different players. The Blues have outscored their opponents 11-2 with 10 different players scoring goals this season.
Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz also converted against Florida goalie Tim Thomas, who was pulled after the second period. He allowed five goals on 28 shots.
Halak made 19 saves and passed Glen Hall, who had 16 shutouts from 1967-1971. Halak posted his 26th career shutout and improved to 8-1 lifetime against the Panthers.
The Blues' seven-goal outburst was their largest since they won at Detroit 10-3 on March 30, 2011.
Florida, which beat Dallas 4-2 in its opener, was looking to start the season 2-0 for the first time in eight years.
Morrow and Roy were signed as free agents in the offseason to add offensive punch.
Morrow scored his 250th career goal off a pass from Roy to give St. Louis a 1-0 lead in the first period.
The Blues then broke the game open with four goals in a 6:32 span in the second period. Tarasenko scored off a pass from Schwartz, who converted from close range less than three minutes later to make it 3-0.
Steen beat Thomas on a backhand in the closing minute of the second period to record the Blues' first regular-season penalty shot goal since Patrik Berglund scored on Jan. 24, 2013, in a 3-0 win over Nashville.
Florida managed just six shots in each of the first two periods.
Vladimir Sobotka and Chris Stewart added two assists each.
Notes: St. Louis improved to 10-3-1 at home against Florida, outscoring the Panthers 40-18. ...Florida began the season with four successive road games for the first time in franchise history. ... St. Louis played host to an Eastern Conference opponent for the first time since facing Boston on Feb. 22, 2012. ...The Blues have killed off all 11 penalties this season.
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