Blues shut down Red Wings power play in 2-1 win
Posted: 11.15.2011 at 11:49 PM
ST. LOUIS - Alex Steen scored unassisted for the go-ahead
goal in the second period, and the St. Louis Blues held the Detroit
Red Wings to single-digit shots in all three periods of a 2-1
victory on Tuesday night.
Matt D'Agostini added a power-play goal for the Blues, who ended
the Red Wings' four-game winning streak and halted goalie Jimmy
Howard's five-game winning streak against St. Louis. Detroit was
0-for-6 on the power play and is 0-for-16 the last three games.
They are 2-for-24 on road advantages.
Howard made 35 saves in his first loss against the Blues since a
4-3 shootout defeat on Feb. 9, 2010, and Drew Miller scored the
game's first goal. Detroit totaled 22 shots, but only four in the
third.
The Blues are 3-0-1 since Ken Hitchcock replaced Davis Payne as
coach. They have scored a power-play goal in three of the four
games after totaling just three power-play goals the first 13
games.
The second period was the Blues' best, with a 19-9 shots
advantage and Steen's team-leading seventh goal at 17:19. Steen
picked off a blind backhand clearing effort by Johan Franzen and
beat Howard with a wrist shot from the left circle.
Miller tipped in a pass across the crease from Justin Abdelkader
at 6:02 of the firs, beating Brian Elliott. D'Agostini tied it with
his fifth of the season on a power play late in the first.
Just 12 seconds after Jonathan Ericsson was whistled for
interference, D'Agostini got a loose puck in the slot after Patrik
Berglund's shot was blocked by the defense.
Blues forward Chris Stewart got a game misconduct for checking
Nicklas Kronwall into the boards near the Red Wings bench midway
through the first period. Kronwall was assisted off the ice but
returned in the second period.