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Boyes returns to Boston, leads Blues past Bruins

Dec 22, 2007 - 9:46 PM By Mike Petraglia PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BOSTON (Ticker) - Brad Boyes exacted a measure of revenge against the Boston Bruins.

Boyes returned to Boston for the first time since a trade last February and scored his 21st goal of the season, leading the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 victory over the Bruins on Saturday.

Boston native Keith Tkachuk added an empty-net goal and two assists for the Blues, who have won seven straight against the Bruins dating to 2001.

Manny Legace made 24 saves for St. Louis, which has beaten Boston in 12 of the last 15 meetings.

"Pretty similar records, they've been doing great this year, which is good," Boyes said. "We had pretty similar records and we knew it was going to be tough, but Manny again played so well, like he has all year for us and it was good. It was a good feeling to come out with two points."

The Blues jumped out to the lead in the first period thanks to some miscommunication on a Bruins line change.

With the puck loose near the Boston bench, Lee Stempniak collected the puck and dumped it into the offensive zone. Moments later, he got it back when Tkachuk delivered a pass.

With Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara providing a screen in front of goaltender Tim Thomas, Stempniak fired a wrist shot from the left side that sailed over the netminder's shoulder, giving the Blues a 1-0 lead.

"They just made us pay for our mistakes," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "In the first half of the game, I thought we were battling. I didn't mind our first period at all. We need to start burying our chances. We had some excellent chances in the first period."

Boyes, who was acquired for current Bruins defenseman Dennis Wideman, scored what proved to be the game-winning goal when he took a centering pass from Jay McClement and snapped a one-timer past Thomas at 17:40 of the second period.

"I wasn't feeling pressure at all," Boyes said. "I wanted to come out and obviously wanted to score and help the team win, but Jay Mac (McClement) made a great pass through (Chara's) legs. I had an empty net - and those are ones I have to bury."

"Yeah, he was stumbling, fumbling the puck around there in the first period and a half," Legace said. "He was pretty nervous coming in. It was great to see him get that goal. It's just been a great trade for us and Dennis has been playing great for Boston, so it's been a pretty equal trade. He's been a great player to have all year, he's been on fire."

Wideman figured in the Boston goal that ended Legace's hopes of a shutout midway through the third and cut the deficit to 2-1.

With Dwayne King in the penalty box for tripping, Wideman took a slap shot from the top of the slot through traffic in front. Chuck Kobasew redirected it before Chara controlled it and flipped it past Legace for his fifth goal of the season.

St. Louis salted away the game during a 4-on-4 with 2:58 to play in the third as Ryan Johnson raced in on net before sending a crossing pass to Jamal Mayers, who buried his seventh goal of the season.

Thomas stopped 25 shots for the Bruins, who finished their five-game homestand with a disappointing 1-3-1 mark.

The Bruins were missing right wing Glen Murray, who injured his hip flexor in Thursday's shootout loss to Pittsburgh. To compensate, Bruins coach Claude Julien moved Phil Kessel to the top line with Marco Sturm and Marc Savard.

"We have some guys right now who are probably trying to do too much because of the (injury) situation we're in," Julien said. "I think we have to go back to what I talked about at the beginning of the season, do less, do better."

Boston also played without defenseman Aaron Ward, who broke his foot during practice Friday.