St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn and goaltender Jake Allen have been named the NHL’s first and second stars, respectively, for the week ending Dec. 10. Philadelphia goaltender Brian Elliott was named third star.
Schenn led the NHL with seven points (six goals, one assist), including at least one goal in all four of his appearances, to power the Blues (21-8-2, 44 points) to a perfect week and the top of the Western Conference standings. He notched his third career hat trick, including the decisive goal, in a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens Dec. 5. Schenn then scored the winning goal in a 3-0 triumph against the Dallas Stars Dec. 7 and registered two points (one goal, one assist) in a 6-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings Dec. 9. Schenn closed the week with another tally, marking the second four-game goal streak of his NHL career (Jan. 8-14, 2017: four goals in four games with Philadelphia), in a 3-2 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres Dec. 10. The 26-year-old Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native ranks fifth in the NHL with 37 points (16 goals, 21 assists) in 31 outings this season. He also paces the League in game-winning goals (t-6), shootout-deciding goals (t-2) and plus/minus (+25).
Allen went 4-0-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average, .944 save percentage and one shutout to guide the Blues to their third four-game winning streak of the season (also Oct. 4-10 and Oct. 25-30). He made 22 saves in a 4-3 victory against the Montreal Canadiens Dec. 5. Allen then turned aside all 29 shots he faced, earning his 16th career shutout in a 3-0 triumph over the Dallas Stars Dec. 7. He added a pair of weekend wins, recording 28 saves in a 6-1 victory against the Detroit Red Wings Dec. 9 and 22 stops in a 3-2 overtime triumph over the Buffalo Sabres Dec. 10. The 27-year-old Fredericton, New Brunswick, native shares second in the NHL with 17 victories in 26 contests this season (17-6-2), compiling a 2.54 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and one shutout.
