Blues extend penalty kill streak to 47 in win at Columbus

St. Louis Blues forward T.J. Oshie is a vital part of a Blues penalty killing unit that has killed off 47 consecutive penalties and has helped the Blues win eleven of their last 14 games. - Photo courtesy of Getty Images

The St. Louis Blues have the best defensive team in the NHL and possibly the hottest goalie in the league in Jaroslav Halak.  Halak won his eighth game in a row on Sunday night by stopping 33 of 34 Columbus Blue Jackets shots to notch a 2-1 victory. 

But Halak is not the only thing that is red hot.  So is the St. Louis Blues penalty killing unit.

The Blues killed off eight Columbus power play opportunities, including a Columbus man advantage during the last minute of the third period, to extend their penalty kill streak to 47 on the season.

The last time the Blues allowed a power play goal was back on February 14, a 2-1 loss in Columbus.  That is a span of 14 games!

Coincidentally, over that time the Blues have a 11-3 record and have won their last five in a row and lead all NHL teams with 97 points on the season.

Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock says that the success on the penalty kill, along with the Blues outstanding duo in net of Halak and All-Star Brian Elliott, has translated into wins and is a big reason why the Blues are on top of the entire league.

"The penalty killing and the goaltending have been the No. 1 and 2 aspects of our game that have helped us win. When you kill penalties and you take out the top players and they don't get a beat in on the game, they don't get a bite on the game, they get discouraged and then I think the team loses energy."

The Blues will look to extend their penalty kill streak on Tuesday night when the visit the Chicago Blackhawks.

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