Music: {allcanada} Blues top Jets on Steen's game-winner

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

{allcanada} Blues top Jets on Steen's game-winner

ST. LOUIS -- The puck is finding Alexander Steen's stick, and the St. Louis Blues left wing is finding the back of the net with precision and accuracy.

Steen's 11th goal of the season with 59.4 seconds remaining Tueday night at Scottrade Center led the Blues to a 3-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets. It also moved Steen into the NHL lead in goals.

The Blues remembered how they gave a point away to the Jets 11 days ago. They were determined not to squander a lead again.

Alex Pietrangelo had a goal and an assist and Brenden Morrow scored for the Blues (7-1-2), who have earned points in nine of 10 games this season. Jaroslav Halak stopped 21 shots to improve to 7-1-1 on the season.

Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little scored for the Jets, who wrapped up a four-game trip 1-2-1. Ondrej Pavelec stopped 30 shots.

The game marked the first time a team from Winnipeg visited St. Louis since April 8, 1996, when the original Winnipeg Jets franchise faced off against the Blues.

Steen's goal was his seventh in five games, and he passed Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin, who has 10 goals, for tops in the League.

Morrow's second goal of the season put the Blues ahead 1-0 6:36 into the game when Pavelec gave up a big rebound off Ryan Reaves' shot from the right circle. Morrow came in off the back side and one-timed the rebound into the empty side.

The Jets tied the game when Derek Roy (interference) and Morrow (roughing) took simultaneous penalties, giving Winnipeg a two-minute 5-on-3 advantage. Morrow drew his penalty when he reacted to Olli Jokinen delivering a shoulder check that sent Alex Pietrangelo into the corner boards.

Wheeler whacked in a rebound off an Andrew Ladd shot on the power play. Halak stopped the initial shot, but lost sight of the puck as it popped up high and toward the back post. Wheeler finished into the empty side at 11:20 of the first. It broke an 0-for-26 skid on the power play for the Jets.

Neither team could light the lamp in the second period, but the Jets nearly scored late when Wheeler was sent in alone from the blue line as he split the Blues' defense, but his backhand attempt hit the left post with 55 seconds left in the period.

St. Louis regained the lead thanks to T.J. Oshie's dogged determination to win a loose puck and keep puck possession. He then faked a shot and fed an on-rushing Pietrangelo, who was able to beat Ondrej Pavelec high short side with an open side to shoot at 4:16 into the final period to break a 1-1 tie.

The Jets were able to come back and square the game 2-2 when Oshie failed to keep a puck in the Winnipeg zone on the power play, and Little was able to convert Ladd's pass at 10:27 on what amounted to a 2-on-0 play.

It was the second straight game the Blues allowed a shorthanded goal.

Halak preserved the tie when he was able to get a glove at point-blank range on Michael Frolik's backhand off a deflected shot with five minutes remaining in regulation.

Lightning Bolt - Pearl Jam