• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Legace, Blues cool off Flames

Nov 26, 2007 - 3:47 AM By Tom James PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) - The St. Louis Blues scored early in the first period, late in the second period, and got tremendous goaltending from Manny Legace all night long.

It added up to their sixth win in seven games, and fifth straight at home, a 3-0 victory over the Calgary Flames on Sunday night.

Jamal Mayers scored twice, Brad Boyes added a goal and Manny Legace earned his 19th career shutout for St. Louis.

The Blues needed just 27 seconds to take the lead. Lee Stempniak had back-to-back shots, the first stopped by Curtis McElhinney and the second off the right post, before Mayers raced down the slot to backhand a drive behind over-committed Calgary goaltender.

Legace kept it even just over a minute later when he reached back with his stick to stop Daymond Langkow's turnaround backhand for the first of his 24 saves on the night.

"I popped out of the corner, and saw nothing but net out of the corner of my eye," Langkow said. "That was an amazing save and he was solid all night."

"The guys keep playing great in front of me", Legace said. "They block shots, lay down and intercept passes, and everybody is playing well.

"It's tough to go 60 minutes every game. There are nights when you have an off night. Then, you have to get back at it."

The St. Louis goaltender also gloved a Dion Phaneuf wrist shot, firmly ticketed for the high corner, with 9:20 left in the second.

Brad Boyes doubled the lead with a power-play tally near the end of the second when he redirected a centering pass, from Doug Weight from the left faceoff circle, off the inside of the left post at 19:35.

"The defense was stretched out a bit," Weight said. They thought I was going to Paul (Kariya), but Boyes has that long stick reach, and got a great touch.

"We are getting confident that, when we get the lead at home, we're not letting teams back in it. If you don't make teams pay, it is going to bite you."

For Boyes, a 25-year-old right wing, it was his 13th goal of the season, tops on the club, and his 11th on home ice.

"After that game the other night (3-0 loss Wednesday in Detroit), and especially at home, we needed to get going again," Boyes said. "Plus, we had to do produce on the power play."

Calgary coach Mike Keenan opted to pull McElhinney with 3:40 to play after a the Blues incurred their second bench minor of the game for too many men on the ice.

The Flames failed to muster anything on the 6-on-4 situation despite nearly a full minute of solid puck movement and Ryan Johnson worked the puck toward the right-wing boards in the Calgary zone.

Mayers won a battle with Alex Tanguay and knocked the puck into the vacated net for the Blues' first shorthanded goal of the season at 17:24.

Mayers, a 33-year-old defenseman, collected his fifth career two-goal game, and second this season.

"We're all getting involved and that's what has to happen if we're going to win," Mayers said.

Keenan was in no mood to contain his frustration.

"We had a power-play opportunity to tie the game in which we didn't get anything done," Keenan said. "They get a power-play opportunity, on a marginal too many men on the ice call, but they scored a goal, and that made the difference."

The Blues' finish, including a 34th consecutive killed penalty over their last seven-plus home games, impressed the man behind the bench.

"The fact that you finish strong is a sign of respect to your opponent and we knew we would have to play to the last minute," St. Louis coach Andy Murray said "It was a physical, warrior-like game."