Stars 0 - 1 Blues
Final
  for this game

Halak posts another shutout, Blues edge Stars

Jan 17, 2012 - 4:34 AM St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Jaroslav Halak made 22 saves to record his second shutout in a week, and the St. Louis Blues vaulted to the top of the standings with a 1-0 victory over the Dallas Stars.

T.J. Oshie scored the game's lone goal as St. Louis notched its sixth win in seven games. With 60 points, the Blues are tied with the Blackhawks and Rangers for the most in the NHL. St. Louis and Chicago are tied for the Central Division lead.

Oshie netted his goal with 8:34 left in the third period, and Halak held on for his fifth consecutive win. He shut out the Canadiens in Montreal last Tuesday.

Kari Lehtonen stopped 31-of-32 shots, but the Stars fell for the third time in their last four contests.

"A 5-4 game probably doesn't hurt as bad as a 1-0 game," said Stars forward Adam Burish. "These ones kind of burn you a little bit just because you're one shot away."

After two scoreless periods and most of the third, St. Louis got on the board. Alex Pietrangelo gained control of the puck after a faceoff in the Blues' end, then used a pass along the right boards to spring a 2-on-2 rush.

Oshie carried the puck into the Dallas end and passed to David Perron, who split two defenders near the right circle. Oshie made the split possible because immediately after he passed to Perron, he skated into the slot, drawing a defender with him.

But Oshie skated around and accepted a return pass from Perron, then ran into Lehtonen. The loose puck sat in the crease as Lehtonen lay on the ground, and Oshie swatted it in.

"It's a hard job driving the middle (and) driving the net. [Perron] has been showing that he can go to the hard areas this year (and) he went there," Oshie said. "He made a great play. I was yelling for him to throw it back and fortunately it just caught the goalie sliding across."

Halak needed to make just six saves in the third period in securing the victory.

Game Notes

Dallas was 0-for-3 on the power play...St. Louis was 0-for-4...The Blues are 2-0-1 on their homestand, which continues Thursday against Edmonton...St. Louis has won two in a row vs. Dallas after dropping the previous five.






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