ST. LOUIS — Los Angeles rookie goalie Calvin Peterson earned his first NHL shutout and rookie forward Matt Luff scored his first goal, leading the Kings to a 2-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Monday night.
Peterson, making his third start for the Kings, stopped 29 shots. He is the 24th rookie goaltender to start a game for Los Angeles. In college at Notre Dame and in the minor leagues, Peterson had 20 shutouts.
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The Kings, last in the Pacific Division, had lost four of their last five games before picking up the win over St. Louis in a game featuring teams with the worst records in the Western Conference.
The Blues, last in the Central Division, have lost four of their last five games and this marked the third time they were shut out this season.
Los Angeles went up 1-0 at 8:18 of the second period. Luff, a 21-year-old right wing, scored his first goal on his sixth career shot when hit a wrister from the right circle. Adrian Kempe fed the wide-open Luff for the goal.
Anze Kopitar added an empty-netter with 30 seconds left.
This was the first meeting this season between the teams. St. Louis won two of three last season and is 6-3-0 in the last nine matchups with Los Angeles.
Blues goalie Jake Allen faced 26 shots in falling to 5-3 in his career against the Kings. Allen was pulled with 1:45 to play but the Blues were unable to score.
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NOTES: St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Harrison Bader, accompanied by team mascot Fredbird, dropped the ceremonial first puck. … Blues D Carl Gunnarsson and F Jaden Schwartz will be out through the weekend. Both sustained upper-body injuries in the Blues’ 4-1 win at Vegas last Friday. … Blues F Alexander Steen missed his third game with an upper body injury. He is listed as day to day. … F Pat Maroon, who suffered an upper-body injury last Wednesday against Chicago and was placed on injured reserve, can come off IR on Thursday. … Blues D Robert Bortuzzo has resumed skating. He has missed 12 games with a lower body injury and remains on IR. … the Kings recalled F Austin Wagner from Ontario of the AHL and and goalie Cole Kehler has been assigned to Ontario. … Kings F Trevor Lewis (fractured foot) is listed week-to-week.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host Colorado on Wednesday night.
Blues: At Nashville on Wednesday night.
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Warren Mayes, The Associated Press