Elliott has 3rd straight shutout, Blues clinch playoff spot

ST. LOUIS -- Brian Elliott made 15 saves for his third straight shutout and the St. Louis Blues beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 on Friday night to clinch a playoff spot and tie Dallas for the Central Division lead.

Robby Fabbri had a goal and an assist, Kyle Brodziak, Fabbri, Carl Gunnarsson and Joel Edmundson also scored, and Paul Stastny had two assists.

Elliott hasn't allowed a goal since returning from a lower-body injury March 19.

The Canucks have a seven-game winless streak at 0-6-1, their longest streak since January and February in 2014. They have been shut out in four of their last five games.

Brodziak opened the scoring with a short-handed goal midway through the first period. Vancouver's Linden Vey's drop pass entering the St. Louis zone was intercepted by Scottie Upshall, who found Brodziak on an odd-man rush for the tip in. It was Brodziak's second short-handed goal of the season and the third for the Blues.

Fabbri made it 2-0 late in the first with his ninth point in his last nine games.

Elliott kept the Canucks off the board with a pad save on Jannik Hansen's breakaway early in the first and a stick and glove save on Chris Higgins' breakaway late in the period.

Dan Hamhuis almost got the Canucks on the board in the opening minute of the second period with a slap shot from the point, but a review of the play showed the puck hit both posts and never went in.

Gunnarsson made it 3-0 late in the second, and Edmundson scored his first career goal at 12:15 of the third.

Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom made 33 saves.

Noteworthy

• Blues D Jay Bouwmeester (upper body) did not play. He was replaced in the lineup by D Robert Bortuzzo.
• The Blues recalled D Petteri Lindbohm on Thursday from the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.
• Canucks F Derek Dorsett (upper body) returned to the lineup after a five-game absence.