Music: {allcanada} Blues' Elliott gets third shutout of season

Friday, November 25, 2011

{allcanada} Blues' Elliott gets third shutout of season

ST. LOUIS (AP)—Brian Elliott (notes) stopped 24 shots in his third shutout this season, David Backes (notes) added a goal and an assist and the St. Louis Blues beat the Calgary Flames 2-0 on Friday night.

Alex Pietrangelo (notes) also scored for the Blues, who are 6-1-2 since Ken Hitchcock took over as coach.

The Flames, who have been blanked three times in 21 games, got 22 stops from Miikka Kiprusoff (notes).

Backes gave the Blues a 1-0 lead with a short-handed goal, powering his way past Flames defenseman TJ Brodie (notes) and lifting a shot over Kiprusoff's glove 10:39 into the game.

Elliott, who leads the league in goals-against average and save percentage, did his best to preserve the one-goal lead in the third period, stopping Brendan Morrison (notes) in tight, then thwarting breakaway attempts by Jarome Iginla (notes) and Alex Tanguay (notes). Elliott is now 9-1 on the season.

Pietrangelo gave the Blues a two-goal cushion when he put Alex Steen's (notes) feed from the slot into the top of the net past Kiprusoff with 6:43 to play. Backes won the puck in the corner on a big check of Flames defenseman Chris Butler (notes) then got it to Steen, who found Pietrangelo.

NOTES: Backes has four goals in five games after scoring four times in the first 17. He also has six points in five games. … The Flames picked up LW Blake Comeau (notes) off waivers from the New York Islanders Friday. He arrived in St. Louis in time to make his Flames debut. … Blues C Patrik Berglund (notes) and C Jason Arnott (notes) each have one goal in 13 games. … Kiprusoff came into the game with a lifetime record of 19-4-2 with a 1.90 GAA, .927 save percentage and three shutouts in his career against the Blues. … Flames D Jay Bouwmeester (notes) played in his 528th straight game, the longest current ironman streak.