Elliott, Jaskin lead Blues to 2-1 win over Red Wings
DETROIT (AP) Brian Elliott stopped 29 shots, Dmitri Jaskin scored a key third-period goal, and the St. Louis Blues beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 Wednesday night.
Ty Rattie also scored for St. Louis. Elliott came within 2:13 of becoming the first goalie in 69 games to shut out the Red Wings, but Henrik Zetterberg spoiled his bid with a power-play goal through Justin Abdelkader's screen.
Detroit pulled Petr Mrazek with two minutes left, but their momentum was destroyed when Dylan Larkin took a penalty with 58 seconds to play. Mrazek finished with 18 saves.
The Blues took the lead on a fluky goal late in the first period. Alex Pietrangelo took a shot from the point that was headed wide until it bounced off Rattie's right leg and into the net.
Seconds after the ensuing faceoff, the Red Wings appeared to have tied the game. Pavel Datsyuk had Elliott out of position, but his shot slid across the goal line and bounced to safety off the far post. It was close enough that the scoreboard operator triggered the light show that follows Red Wings goals, but the Blues led 1-0 at period's end.
A give-and-go between Paul Stastny and Alexander Steen gave Stastny a point-black tip midway through the second, but Mrazek made the save.
Detroit had 20 shots through two periods, but struggled to force Elliott into tough saves. Mrazek stopped Vladimir Tarasenko twice early in the third to keep it 1-0, but Jaskin broke through the center of the Detroit defense to make it a two-goal game with 7:47 left.
NOTES: Red Wings C Tomas Tatar was a late scratch with the flu. He was replaced by Joakim Andersson in the lineup. ... The Blues only dressed five defensemen after Colton Parayko was also scratched due to an illness. ... With Nicklas Kronwall out 2-4 weeks after knee surgery, Alexey Marchenko moved into the Detroit lineup and onto the penalty-killing unit, while Brendan Smith replaced Kronwall on power plays.
