Music: {allcanada} Vrbata, Lack lead Canucks past Blues

Monday, March 30, 2015

{allcanada} Vrbata, Lack lead Canucks past Blues

Angelina Jolie / Ashton Kutcher / Bethany Joy Lenz / Beyonce Knowles

ST. LOUIS -- The Vancouver Canucks are doing all they can to keep pace in the race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Canucks got a goal and an assist from Radim Vrbata and Eddie Lack defeated the St. Louis Blues for the fifth time in as many tries in a 4-1 victory at Scottrade Center on Tuesday.

Vancouver (44-27-5) entered the game two points ahead of the Calgary Flames, who played the Dallas Stars on Monday, for second place in the Pacific Division. The Canucks led the Los Angeles Kings, who played the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, by three points.

Lack, who was 4-0-0 with a 1.92 goals-against average, a .930 save percentage and one shutout against the Blues, made 23 saves.

Shawn Matthias, Nick Bonino and Alexandre Burrows each had a goal for the Canucks. Christopher Tanev had two assists.

Vancouver has defeated the Blues six straight times and is 11-0-2 against them since Nov. 4, 2011.

The slumping Blues (46-23-7, 99 points) remain three points behind the Nashville Predators for first in the Central Division.

St. Louis, which missed out on a chance to clinch a playoff spot, lost for the sixth time in nine home games. The Blues got a goal from Zbynek Michalek. Brian Elliott made 18 saves.

Making matters worse for the Blues, they lost leading scorer Vladimir Tarasenko, who was tripped 8:08 into the third period by Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa. Tarasenko skated to the dressing room and did not return.

The Canucks grabbed a 1-0 lead when Matthias converted Vancouver's third breakaway of the game after the Blues were making a line change.

Matthias took a long pass from Tanev and beat Elliott on the forehand 3:54 into the second.

Michalek's first goal with the Blues tied the game 1-1 after he took an Olli Jokinen pass from the point and beat Lack with a long-range slap shot at 12:44 of the second.

But Bonino restored Vancouver's one-goal lead 31 seconds later after Kevin Bieksa's point shot caromed off the back boards around the other side of the goal and Bonino put in the rebound from a sharp angle.

Vrbata's 31st of the season gave Vancouver a 3-1 lead when he raced off with the puck on a 3-on-1 and sent a shot past Elliott from the right circle at 7:06 of the third. Burrows scored into an empty net with 1:31 remaining.

Another scoreless first period for the Blues was their 10th in a row. They've gone 205:40 without a goal in the first dating to March 10 against the Winnipeg Jets.

The save of the period did not come from either Elliott or Lack. Michalek laid out on the ice and was able to prevent Henrik Sedin from capitalizing on an Elliott turnover near the net 6:15 into the game.

Brad Pitt / Britney Spears / Colin Farrell / Dale Earnhardt Jr