Win clinches playoff spot for Blues

TAMPA, Fla. -- The St. Louis Blues are headed to the postseason.

Jaroslav Halak made 22 saves, Jaden Schwartz scored his first NHL goal and the Blues beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 to clinch a playoff berth Saturday night.

"It's the first step," St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We're proud of that. We're really happy with it, and we continue down that path."

Halak had an in-close stop on league goals leader Steven Stamkos in the first and made a glove save on Brett Connolly during a second-period breakaway.

"It's great, but I don't think anybody is focusing on the playoffs," Halak said. "We have work to do. We've got nine games left in the season, and we have to get as many wins as we can. We have to do our job, and I'm sure everybody realizes that."

Halak came within about four minutes of getting his 23rd career shutout in his 200th NHL game.

Schwartz, who was taken 14th overall in the 2010 entry draft and was making his NHL debut, put St. Louis up 2-0 from just outside the crease on the power play with 35.5 seconds left in the first.

"It was pretty special," Schwartz said. "It's something you dream about. I'm just happy that I could come in and help get the win."

Patrik Berglund and David Perron also scored for the Blues, who became the first NHL team (46-19-8) to reach 100 points this season.

Berglund put the Blues ahead 1-0 on a short-handed goal from the slot off a nice pass by Alex Pietrangelo during a 2-on-1 at the 15-minute mark of the first period.