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| Tkachuk, Legace help Blues blank Blue Jackets ST LOUIS 3, COLUMBUS 0 |
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ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Keith Tkachuk recorded two goals to increase his career total to 499 and All-Star Manny Legace stopped all 25 shots he faced for his fifth shutout of the season as the St. Louis Blues skated to a 3-0 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. Brad Boyes also scored his team-leading 42nd goal and Paul Kariya and Andy McDonald had two assists apiece for St. Louis, which posted just its fourth win in 22 games (4-14-4). "We realize we've got some things we've got to deal with," Blues coach Andy Murray said. "We're disappointed we're not playing hockey next week. We lost too many one-goal games, and with our play on the road, we're not there yet." Pascal Leclaire finished with 22 saves for Columbus, which lost its fourth in a row and fell to 1-6-1 in its last eight games. The teams conclude their season with a rematch in Columbus on Sunday. Boyes gave Legace all the offense he needed with a blast from the left point that beat Leclaire just 8:36 into the first period. Tkachuk doubled St. Louis' advantage with 4:06 in the first by deflecting Kariya's shot past Leclaire. Both first-period goals came on the Blues' league-worst power play, assuring the team it will not set a franchise mark for man-advantage futility for a second consecutive season. Ironically, St. Louis has scored seven times on 29 power-play opportunities against Columbus while converting only 13 percent (39-for-300) against the rest of the league. "I don't know what it is," Columbus captain Rick Nash said. "I wish I knew. I don't know what the problem is. They have some talented players on the power play, sure, but they've had problems all year. I know they'd like to know about that." "We had a lot of problems handling them during their first two power plays," Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We didn't (get) the puck out and it end up behind Pascal." Tkachuk and Kariya teamed up again just 90 seconds into the third period as Kariya skated down the right wing and fed Tkachuk on the doorstep for his 499th career goal. With the potential milestone tally in sight, Kariya attempted two centering feeds for Tkachuk later in the third, but Leclaire denied the veteran both times. "There was an open net as well as a couple of other chances," Tkachuk said. "It would've been nice to get it here. It was a good atmosphere. (Scoring 500 goals) means playing a lot of years with a lot of great players." Murray was not at all ashamed to admit getting Tkachuk another goal was the team's main focus for the majority of the third period. "We tried everything we could," Murray said. "He took every second shift. I asked if he wanted to be on the last penalty kill, but he said no." "He came back to St. Louis and wants to finish his career here," Legace added. "We wanted to get it for him." Legace turned aside 13 shots in the first period, eight in the second and five in the third for his 23rd career shutout. "In the first period, we got a little rocky, but in the second period, we didn't allow much, and in the third period, not much either," said Legace, who finished the home portion of the schedule with a 2.13 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and four of his five shutouts. "The boys really wanted it. The second half of the year didn't go well and they wanted it for the fans." |
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