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Stempniak lifts Blues past Ducks in overtime

Nov 22, 2008 - 6:54 AM ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Lee Stempniak gave the St. Louis Blues what appeared to be rightfully theirs for 59 minutes, 59 seconds.

Stempniak scored 2:39 into overtime as the Blues overcame a game-tying goal with one second left in the third period to post a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.

David Backes and Steve Regier scored power-play goals for the Blues, who improved to 2-4-2 this month. For Regier, it was his third goal in two career games as he tallied twice in St. Louis' 3-2 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.

"I think I put myself into a position in the minors where I worked real hard to get up here, but I don't think you can ever envision it going this well so far," Regier said.

Chris Kunitz scored midway through the third period and captain Scott Niedermayer netted the controversial equalizer for the Ducks, who lost for the fifth time in six games (1-4-1).

Trailing 2-1, the Ducks forced the extra session when Niedermayer capitalized during a 6-on-4 advantage. Corey Perry was pushed on top of goaltender Manny Legace, who briefly was immobilized as Niedermayer collected the puck in a crowd and slid a backhander into the open net.

"I was just fishing for the puck," Niedermayer said. "It just happened to come to my stick. I poked it toward the net, and I saw it just go under him."

After video review, Niedermayer was awarded his third goal of the season, sending the game to overtime.

"It shouldn't have went to overtime," Legace said. "I would have felt cheated if we would have lost."

Midway through the extra session, Stempniak helped the Blues skate away with two points by firing a hard wrist shot from above the left faceoff circle that beat netminder Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

"I just tried to come in and use (Ducks defenseman Chris) Pronger as a screen and just get it on net," Stempniak said.

"Their player used (Pronger) in a very effective way," Giguere said. "I still would like to see that shot again. I shouldn't have opened up like I did. I think I can stop those."

Legace made 26 saves for St. Louis. The 35-year-old turned aside nine shots in the first, seven in the second, nine in the third and one in overtime to hang on for the win in his third consecutive start.

Backes opened the scoring at 7:14 of the first period, and the Blues protected their slim margin until Kunitz struck 7:13 into the third.

Drafted second overall in 2005, Bobby Ryan fired a slap shot that Legace stopped. But Kunitz charged toward the net and tapped in the rebound for his third tally of the season.

St. Louis restored its lead three minutes later, when Backes gained possession of the puck behind the net and fed Regier, who beat a screened Giguere from the doorstep.

"Two rebound goals, that's how the character of our team is going to be," Backes said. "We're not going to be real pretty down the rush, but we got a lot of big bodies that can go to the net and finish loose pucks."

The game was chippy early on as three fights took place in the first half of the opening period - including one between Anaheim's Travis Moen and St. Louis' B.J. Crombeen three seconds into the contest - before things settled down.

"Anaheim is a very physical team, and to have success against them, you have to make sure you answer the physicality," Blues coach Andy Murray said.

Giguere made 25 saves for Anaheim and defenseman Bret Hedican played in his 1,000th career game. Hedican became the 30th United States-born player to reach the plateau and fifth from Minnesota, joining Phil Housley (1,495 games), Neal Broten (1,099), Mike Ramsey (1,070) and Dave Christian (1,009).

Broten, Ramsey and Christian all were members of the famed gold medal-winning Olympic team in 1980.