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Blues rally to hand Devils rare home loss

Jan 11, 2007 - 4:33 AM EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- While challenging for a playoff spot may be a tall order, Andy Murray has the St. Louis Blues on the road to respectability.

Dan Hinote and Dallas Drake scored goals in the second period to erase a deficit and lead the Blues to a 3-2 triumph over the New Jersey Devils.

Despite entering Wednesday last in the Western Conference with 35 points, St. Louis has played well since Murray replaced Mike Kitchen on December 11, going 7-4-3, including wins in four of its previous six games. The Blues fell behind on two occasions in this one but showed resiliency by bouncing back against one of the best home teams in the league.

"We weren't very good at the beginning of the year, made a coaching change, he's come in and put in a system that the boys can do," St. Louis goaltender Manny Legace said. "It just seems to be working for us. We're starting to jell now."

"We've done well the last month or so," Drake added. "We made some changes for the positive and we're getting a lot of contributions from everybody right now. Our goaltender, especially of late, has been unbelievable, and he made some key saves for us down the stretch (tonight)."

Just 19 seconds into the second period, Brian Gionta gave the Devils a 2-1 edge with his fifth goal in three games. However, Hinote answered 73 seconds later and Drake put the Blues ahead to stay midway through the session. The tallies were the first in 10 contests for both Hinote and Drake.

Legace made the slim advantage stand, stopping the final 14 shots he faced, including 13 in the third period.

"I went down to take away the lower part of the net," Legace said. "I was hoping that our guys were taking away the top because there were about 12 guys in front of me, it seemed, and I just took away the lower part. I got lucky."

Keith Tkachuk also scored and defenseman Barret Jackman added two assists for the Blues, who halted a five-game losing streak against the Devils and improved to 4-0-0 against Eastern Conference opponents.

"Let's keep going, stay out east," Blues center Doug Weight said.

John Madden tallied and blue-liner Brian Rafalski set up both goals for New Jersey, which has lost just four times in regulation in 21 home games (14-4-3).

"We were all flat as a team," Devils coach Claude Julien said. "For two periods, they just kept taking it to us. We couldn't seem to muster up the energy we've had lately."

"I think it's a team, normally, we should beat," New Jersey netminder Martin Brodeur added. "That's the beauty about this new league - every team will perform."

The Devils took advantage of a bad clearing attempt to grab a 1-0 lead. From behind his own net, St. Louis defenseman Dennis Wideman fired the puck up the right wing boards, where it was stopped at the point by Rafalski.

After skating down to the faceoff circle, Rafalski passed to Madden, who scored from the doorstep at 4:23 of the first period.

Tkachuk drew the Blues even midway through the session, converting a nifty backhand pass that rookie David Backes fired between his legs to the right side of the crease at 10:50. It was Tkachuk's fifth tally in seven games.

Gionta put the Devils ahead, 2-1, by batting Rafalski's pass from the right wing boards past Legace from the bottom of the slot early in the middle period, and Zach Parise nearly doubled the advantage a minute later, but his wrist shot from the high slot rang off the right goalpost.

"You talk about turning points," Julien said. "Brian's shot made it 2-1, then Zach hit the post, which would have made it 3-1. Somehow, the puck stayed out and they came back."

Hinote ended his drought at 2:32, beating Brodeur after having a bouncing puck find him in the low slot.

"It was a great faceoff win by Jay McClement, great play by Barret Jackman to get the puck through," Hinote said. "It bounced onto my stick. I think it might have hit Jay McClement in front, come back to me. I just put it on net and got lucky."

Drake snapped the 2-2 tie at 9:35, when Jackman's wrister from the right circle caromed off the Blues' captain in front and by a surprised Brodeur.

"I just went to the net and it went off my leg," Drake said. "I'm excited."

"It his his leg or his pants or something," Brodeur said. "I don't know where it went after (that)."

New Jersey's best opportunity to pull even in the third came from Gionta. Devils captain Patrik Elias slap shot was stopped and Gionta grabbed the rebound in front, but Legace kicked away his point-blank shot to keep the Blues on top.

"I got two whacks at it," Gionta said. "One was blocked by the D, the other hit Legace right on the pad."