These days, their 26-year-old goaltender better be at the top of the packing list.

With a career-high 51 saves, ‘Allen carried the Blues/a on Wednesday night to a series-opening 2-1 overtime victory/a over the Minnesota Wild that ended three minutes into Thursday morning.

”He was unbelievable, save after save,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. ”He was amazing to watch, and it was fun for us to be a part of.”

The Blues were outshot by the Wild over the 77-plus minute game by a staggering 52-26.

The only chance they had to stay close, let alone steal the Game 1 win, was going to lie with the goalie who was struggling badly enough in mid-January that the Blues decided they were better off without him, and he without them, for a few days. That followed a particularly rough game against Washington on Jan. 19 when Allen was pulled twice while giving up four goals on 10 shots.

”It was three weeks for me that was real tough, but other than that I thought I had a really good year,” Allen said, adding: ”I think we all should be proud, where we came from. We were completely out of the playoffs. We were down in the dumps.”

The change on the bench that initiated a team-wide turnaround, when Ken Hitchcock was fired and replaced early by coach-in-waiting Mike Yeo, came on Feb. 1. Allen has played in the net like a different person since then, with the best goals-against average (1.85) and save percentage (.938) in the NHL over the 32-game balance of the season. He won 11 of his last 15 starts before the playoffs, giving up a total of only 26 goals.

Allen’s performance against the Wild was next level, though.

”I’m not getting too excited over the saves I made or anything like that. It’s just a win,” Allen said on Thursday after a light practice as both teams tuned up for Game 2 on Friday. ”We still have a long way to go, and we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves.”

Yeo took his place behind the podium after the game, fully expectant that the first question would be about Allen. He still found himself at a bit of a loss for the right words to describe what he saw.

”Phenomenal performance,” Yeo said. ”That’s all you can say against a team that really challenges you, not only the quality scoring chances, but the pressure at the net. The way he controlled situations, shots, rebounds, the puck, it was a real obviously impressive performance.”

Almost every skater in the Wild’s lineup had a prime opportunity to score, and only Zach Parise did. Charlie Coyle and Jason Zucker, who had six shots on goal apiece, were particularly snake-bitten with Coyle’s stick snapping during his close-range try in overtime that was lineup.

”I don’t think he’s in our head. We’re just going to continue to do what we do,” center Eric Staal said. ”I think we’re going to get some breaks around the net. He made some good saves. He played well. I think if we continue to do what we do, get around that net, play the way we can, we’re going to get something for sure.”

Signed to a four-year, $17.4 million contract extension that will kick in next season, Allen became the primary net-minder last summer when the Blues traded Brian Elliott to Calgary. Allen played the whole first-round series against Minnesota in 2015, going 2-4 with 12 goals allowed and getting pulled from Game 6, but he’d mostly shared the job with Elliott his whole career. The New Brunswick native was a second-round draft pick in 2008.

When goaltending coach Jim Corsi was fired with Hitchcock, assistant general manager and Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur took over as Allen’s main mentor.

”It’s been good. He hasn’t changed much to my game. He knows me,” Allen said. ”He’s been around the team now for a couple years, and he’s just a good sounding board and confidence booster to have.”

Allen is deftly filling that confidence-booster role for the Blues these days.

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More AP NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey

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Well back and way out of the playoff race, Colorado is making things difficult for teams in or contending for a playoff spot.

Because if they don’t play inspired hockey, they run the risk of incurring the wrath of veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere again.

Jamie McGinn scored twice, Giguere stopped 29 shots and the Avalanche prevented the St. Louis Blues from wrapping up a playoff spot with a 5-3 win on Sunday night.

Colorado is 3-0-2 against teams jockeying for postseason position since Giguere recently boiled over and bristled about his team’s lackluster play. They definitely received his message.

“All it means is we can play against anyone in this league if we put our minds to it,” Giguere said. “If we skate, play the system the way it’s supposed to be and we’re on the same page, then we can compete against any team in this league. That’s something we should be excited about, something we should build on.”

Cody McLeod, Matt Duchene and Chuck Kobasew also scored for the Avalanche, who chased Brian Elliott from the game late in the second period. It was Colorado’s eighth straight win over the Blues at Pepsi Center.

David Backes, Jaden Schwartz and Kevin Shattenkirk had goals for St. Louis, which could have secured a postseason berth with a win over a Colorado team that’s last in the Western Conference.

After Elliott, one of the top goaltenders this month, gave up a fourth goal, the Blues pulled him in favor of Jake Allen. He allowed Kobasew’s third-period goal that gave Colorado a 5-3 advantage.

Giguere made the lead hold up down the stretch.

Elliott resembled the Elliott of three months ago, the goaltender scuffling in net, and not the one with an 8-1 mark in April along with a 1.01 goals-allowed average entering the game. He had three straight road shutouts before McGinn broke the scoreless streak midway through the opening period.

“We just didn’t play as good as a team,” Elliott said. “That’s not how we want to play. Obviously, it’s frustrating not getting the win and clinching a playoff spot like we had a chance to do tonight. That’s what’s frustrating.”

The Blues play the Avs again in two days.

“You can’t dwell on this too much, you have to take (the loss) for what it is and learn from it,” Elliott said. “This is not the time of year to have a team effort like that. From the goalie out, we have to be better.”

St. Louis was uncharacteristically careless with the puck, committing several turnovers that led to goals. The Mile High City hasn’t been particularly kind to the Blues, who’ve not won in Denver since April 12, 2009. Coach Ken Hitchcock said part of the reason is that his team tries to play a fast-paced tempo with the Avs, instead of their own game.

Colorado had the Blues in chase mode, especially after building a 4-2 lead after two periods. Giguere bottled up the Blues, but Shattenkirk made things interesting by scoring on a wrist shot from the blue line to make it 4-3 midway through the third.

Kobasew ended the drama by banking in a shot off Allen nearly 4 minutes later.

“Wasn’t one of our better games,” Hitchcock said.

The Avalanche’s recently inspired play has something to do with Giguere’s motivational rant — and even more to do with plain, old pride.

“When you go on a downward spiral like we did there for a while, it’s tough to get out of,” Duchene said. “You get in a terrible mindset that’s really hard to overcome.

“A little while ago, we accepted our fate and we started playing good hockey and knocking off good teams. It’s good to go into next season like this. We need to continue to press and play well.”

McGinn gave Colorado a 1-0 lead in the first period when his left skate deflected a shot past Elliott. The officials quickly reviewed the goal and upheld the ruling. It was the first road goal Elliott allowed in more than 200 minutes.

Backes tied the game when he coasted up the middle and lifted a shot by Giguere. But McLeod put Colorado back on top just before the end of the period, tipping a shot past Elliott.

These days, that hasn’t been an easy task.

Elliott has been a completely different goaltender since his return from a one-game stint in the minors late last month. Before he went down to the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League, he was hardly seeing any playing time and when he got into goal he wasn’t effective, going 3-6-1 with a 3.65 goals-against average.

But Elliott figured some things out and has been stonewalling opponents all month. His eight wins are the second-most by a Blues goaltender in April, one behind Brent Johnson (2001-02).

“Brian got rid of the anxiety of getting ready for a game,” Hitchcock explained after the morning skate. “He’s resurrected the season for us. He’s really been the story here in the month of April.”

Elliott’s turnaround also has coincided with the arrival of defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who was acquired from Calgary on April 1.

For Bouwmeester, the change of scenery has been quite pleasant, considering he went from a scuffling Flames team to a squad that could soon be headed to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“It’s been fun. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t,” Bouwmeester said.

Game notes

McGinn also had an assist, giving him his second three-point game of the season. … McLeod has scored four times in his last four games. … Backes had an assist to go with his sixth goal of the season.

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