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Brewer leads Blues over Blue Jackets

Feb 18, 2008 - 4:18 AM ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The St. Louis Blues named defenseman Eric Brewer their captain nine days ago. On Sunday, he earned the 'C' on the ice.

Brewer assisted on a career-best four goals and All-Star goaltender Manny Legace was brilliant once again as the Blues skated past the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-1, on Sunday evening.

Defenseman Matt Walker scored his first career goal and rookie David Perron tallied the game-winner for St. Louis (27-22-9, 63 points), which moved a tie with Columbus (27-25-9, 63 points) and is three points behind idle Vancouver (29-22-8, 66 points) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Brewer was named the Blues' captain on February 8, becoming the first player to wear the 'C' since Dallas Drake last season. He had just one point in five games as captain before exploding on Sunday.

St. Louis, which possesses the worst power-play unit in the NHL at 12.6 percent, used Brewer's pinpoint passing to tally three goals in seven man-advantage opportunities against the Blue Jackets.

"Being named captain, with those emotions and responsibilities, going home for the birth of a baby girl this past week, with those emotions and responsibilities, and yet he has played very, very well," Blues coach Andy Murray said of Brewer. "That's why we gave him the 'C'."

Walker, who had 10 assists and 243 penalty minutes in his first 152 career games but had yet to find the net, scored his first career goal 7:44 into the game.

The veteran blue-liner benefited from a botched attempt by Blue Jackets center Michael Peca to send the puck behind his own net. Instead, the puck skipped past a pair of Columbus players on its way around the right-wing boards where Walker beat goaltender Pascal Leclaire with a blast over his left shoulder.

"The guys are coming through. The guys are really focused. We're getting the puck forward, and we need to because there is a lot of skill on those lines," Brewer said of his fellow defensemen.

All-Star Rick Nash tied the game with his 31st goal of the season - and sixth in six games against the Blues - when he manufactured defenseman Jan Hejda's clear into a shorthanded breakaway. He faked to the left before stuffing the puck past Legace's right skate with 4:22 left in the opening period.

Perron netted his 11th of the season to put St. Louis in front to stay when he touched a feed from Lee Stempniak over the right shoulder of Leclaire to complete a 2-on-1 rush at 2:18 of the second.

The sluggish Blues' power play then took control of the game.

Brad Boyes raced in from the right point to pounce on the rebound of Brewer's drive from the left point and claim his 31st goal of the season at the 5:51 mark of the second.

Andy McDonald scored his eighth as a member of the Blues, 12th of the season and 100th of his career when he a took a perfect three-line pass up the middle from Brewer for a breakaway and finished with a wrister over Leclaire's stacked pads at 16:07.

Legace, with his drop pass to Brewer at the start of the play, earned his first assist in more than two years.

Keith Tkachuk then capped the power-play barrage with his 18th of the season when he deflected rookie defenseman Erik Johnson's slap shot past Leclaire at 12:20.

"We took some foolish penalties, and that can't happen. It's disappointing and demoralizing." Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We were outcompeted from the start. They beat us to the puck, beat us on the puck, beat us on the boards ... beat us all over the ice."

Legace, who has appeared in each of the Blues' last 16 contests, finished with 18 saves a night after tallying 42 in an overtime loss at Nashville. He and has not allowed more than two goals in any of his last six games.

"I'm getting used to them," Legace said. "It's a little tough, especially when you play two good teams competing for playoff spots. We played a terrific game."

Murray seems to think his team is getting a little too used to it.

"I reminded people that our goaltender had worked his tail off last night and that we needed a lot of puck possession," Murray said.

Leclaire stopped 23 shots for Columbus.