ST. LOUIS – Erik Johnson scored the go-ahead goal on a third-period shot that slowly trickled between goalie Jonathan Quick's pads in the St. Louis Blues' 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.
Patrik Berglund snapped a 3-for-38 power play drought in the first period for the Blues, who ended a three-game home losing streak and a 1-6-1 slump overall and leapfrogged a point ahead of Los Angeles in the Western Conference standings. Jaroslav Halak raised his career mark against Los Angeles to 7-1, making 26 saves.
Matt Greene ended a 10-game point drought with his first goal of the season for the Kings, who are in a 2-9 slump. Quick made his first start in three games and made 24 saves, but couldn't control Johnson's innocent looking point shot wth 6:47 to go.
Johnson has scored in two straight games and has a point in the last four after getting his fifth goal of the season.
Blues forward T.J. Oshie returned after a 31-game absence from a fractured left ankle and got a loud ovation after he was announced as one of the starters. The Blues were 9-1-2 before Oshie, a first-round pick in 2005, was injured, and Oshie was named the No. 1 star after a solid game.
The Blues remain without forwards David Perron and Andy McDonald, both out with concussions. Enforcer Cam Janssen, among the inactives, put his arm around Perron and hustled him out of the press area between the first and second periods.
Blues defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo was struck in the face by a puck for the second time in four games, felled by Drew Doughty's shot on a rush in the second period. Colaicovo headed straight for the dressing room and he did not return to the game.
Berglund's ninth goal, and first in 11 games, capitalized on a 5-on-3 advantage. Greene tied it at 16:21 of the second with his first goal of the season on a shot from the point that made it through traffic.
NOTES: St. Louis has sold out all 24 home games. ... Blues D Roman Polak had only 14 penalty minutes in 20 games before fighting the Kings' Kyle Clifford in the first period. ... The Kings have been outscored 39-28 during their slump. ... The Kings are 0-5-1 against the Blues since December 5, 2009.