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St. Louis • Jeff Carter scored twice for the first time since the Stanley Cup clincher, helping the Los Angeles Kings keep the slumping St. Louis Blues down with a 4-1 victory on Monday night.
Brian Elliott has been in net the last four games of the Blues' five-game losing streak, during which time they've allowed 26 goals. Elliott made 19 saves in a surprise start a day after Jaroslav Halak was activated from injured reserve, led the team onto the ice for the pregame skate and was listed on the game sheet. Halak apparently tweaked a groin strain, although the team had no comment on the switch.
Jonathan Bernier was solid with 21 saves in just his second start of the season for the Kings. Los Angeles outscored the Blues 15-6 while eliminating them in five games in the second round of the playoffs last spring en route to the Stanley Cup finals.
Davis Drewiske made it 3-0 at 13:22 of the second period with his first goal of the season on a power play. Alex Steen scored on a power play in the final minute of the second for St. Louis with Andy McDonald earning his 300th career assist.
The five-game skid is the first since Jan. 2-12, 2011, for the Blues, who began the season 6-1. It's their first five-game losing streak at home since Jan. 23-Feb. 6, 2010.
Carter tapped in a backhander on a break-in with Slava Voynov at 8:31 of the first, just the Kings' fifth first-period goal of the season, then got behind defenseman Ian Cole for his sixth of the season early in the second.
Hurricanes 6, Islanders 4 • In Uniondale, N.Y., Alexander Semin netted his 200th NHL goal, Jiri Tlusty scored twice and had two assists, and Carolina scored four third-period goals and overcame three deficits to send New York to its fifth straight loss.
Blue Jackets 6, Sharks 2 • In Columbus, Ohio, Brandon Dubinsky had a goal and an assist and the Blue Jackets had their biggest offensive output of the season against the NHL's stingiest defense.