• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Tkachuk, Backes help Blues end slide

Jan 30, 2008 - 4:26 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- The All-Star break could not have come at a better time for the St. Louis Blues.

Keith Tkachuk scored twice and David Backes provided the game-winner as the Blues snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 3-2 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

"We really needed a win, it's been frustrating the last two weeks and tonight, we found a way - which is huge," Tkachuk said.

All-Star Manny Legace made 23 saves for St. Louis, which had not won a road game in 2008.

"To come out of the All-Star break with a win in a tough building shows that guys were able to recharge their batteries and gather their thoughts," Legace said. "We're still trying to make the playoffs, so this is a big win."

Tkachuk gave the Blues an early 2-0 edge with a pair of goals in the first six minutes of the contest.

"Things haven't been going well for me, but I've just been trying to keep plugging away and it feels nice to get a few," Tkachuk said.

His first came just 78 seconds into the game when the 15-year veteran wristed a shot through a screen by Paul Kariya, hitting Vesa Toskala in the shoulder before bouncing into the net.

Tkachuk doubled the advantage at the 5:41 mark of the opening session when he tipped defenseman Jay McKee's pass to the slot past Toskala.

"We talked about getting a better start in the game and we established what we wanted to do by forechecking and getting pucks to the net," Blues coach Andy Murray said. "You get that lead and it puts pressure on the other team the rest of the way."

Jason Blake halved the deficit with 7:43 left in the first, but Backes answered for the Blues midway through the second period with the eventual game-winner.

Toskala stopped blue-liner Erik Johnson's slap shot from the top of the right circle, but the Maple Leafs netminder failed to secure the puck. With the puck free, Backes stuffed in the rebound to give the Blues a 3-1 bulge with 9:05 remaining.

"They had a good scoring chance and I was able to make the save but I didn't know where the puck was," Toskala said. "I thought I had it, but they didn't blow the whistle."

Matt Stajan's one-timer cut the deficit to 3-2 with 4:50 left in the middle session but Toronto failed get another past Legace to tie the game.

Legace's best save of the night came with about a minute to play when he stopped Blake's backhanded attempt. Immediately after that save, Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin poked the puck in the goal but the whistle had already blown.

"It's a tough loss, I thought we played well enough to win. It's frustrating to lose an important game like that," Sundin said. "We had two goals that clearly went in and I thought the whistles were way too quick."

Toskala blocked 16 shots for Toronto, which has lost eight of its last 12 games.