W-OLF
04-10-2006, 01:39 PM
ST. LOUIS (AP) - After Al MacInnis' retired No. 2 jersey was raised to the rafters, the St. Louis Blues rose to the occasion.
Rookie Jason Bacashihua carried a shutout into the final minute, one of several inspired performances that helped the team end a franchise-record 13-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night.
"Everybody in here is happy for him," Bacashihua said. "We knew it was a big night for him, so we wanted to go out as a team and play well."
The game drew a paid crowd of 19,090, the second-largest of the season. The Blues, who were outscored 53-21 during their slump, knew why the seats were filled for once.
"We haven't had a crowd like that and there's a reason: it's because of Al," Mayers said. "It reminded me of back when we used to get those crowds."
In other games it was: New Jersey 3, New York Rangers 2; Florida 6, Tampa Bay 3; Minnesota 5, Colorado 2; and San Jose 4, Dallas 1.
The 42-year-old MacInnis, whose fearsome slap shot helped him earn 13 All-Star berths and win seven hardest-shot competitions, retired before this season due to eye and shoulder injuries.
"I wish I could skate one more shift, take one more slap shot from the blue line, for the best fans of hockey," MacInnis said in his speech. "But knowing my No. 2 will forever have a home here is more than I could ask.
"I'm forever a St. Louis Blue."
Those and other words of inspiration helped the young Blues, who have one of the worst records in the NHL, put a dent in the Oilers' playoff hopes. The Oilers declined to participate in the 45-minute pre-game ceremony, complaining that it was inappropriate before a late-season game with postseason implications.
Among those not involved was defenseman Chris Pronger, a longtime teammate of MacInnis' before being traded last September. Pronger, who was booed frequently throughout the game, said it was "immaterial" whether the MacInnis ceremony was a distraction.
"We're professionals and we have to come to work and play the game," Pronger said. "They had to sit through the same thing except they had to sit on the bench."
A video tribute from Oilers coach Craig MacTavish was aired with under two minutes to go, however. Pronger said he also did a video.
"But did they lose it?" he said. "I think they lost it."
MacTavish complained that his team has run into a handful of pregame ceremonies this season.
"The perfect guest again," MacTavish said. "I wondered why they were going to pick us to retire Al MacInnis' jersey."
Bacashihua, who made his first start in about 2 1/2 months on Saturday at Colorado, is getting a chance to play due to season-ending injuries to Curtis Sanford and Patrick Lalime. He made 36 saves and was particularly strong in the first half of the third period, when the Oilers outshot the Blues 14-1.
Pronger scored his 12th goal on a power play with 24.1 seconds to go for the Oilers, who fell into a tie for seventh in the Western Conference after the Sharks' 4-1 victory over the Stars. They're two points ahead of the idle Canucks.
Devils 3, Rangers 2
At East Rutherford, N.J., Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta scored 39 seconds apart in the third period to lift surging New Jersey to its seventh straight win.
Sergei Brylin also scored for the Devils and Martin Brodeur made 24 saves.The victory gave the Devils 93 points, pulling them within two of fifth-place Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference.
The Atlantic Division-leading Rangers, who had won three in a row, got goals from Blair Betts and Sandis Ozolinsh while Kevin Weekes made 23 saves.
Panthers 6, Lightning 3
At Sunrise, Fla., Juraj Kolnik and Olli Jokinen each scored two goals to help Florida beat Tampa Bay.
Nathan Horton and Joe Nieuwendyk also had goals for Florida and Jamie McLennan made 29 saves.
Vaclav Prospal, Dan Boyle and Martin St. Louis tallied goals for Tampa Bay. John Grahame had 41 saves for the Lightning, who remain tied with Montreal at 89 points for the final two playoff berths in the Eastern Conference.
Wild 5, Avalanche 2
At Denver, The Pepsi Center crowd went wild after Peter Budaj surrendered back-to-back goals to Minnesota 42 seconds apart early in the first period of the Avalanche's loss.
That's right. They cheered. Because into the crease skated Jose Theodore for his Colorado debut a month and a day after his trade from Montreal.
The cheers didn't last, however, as Theodore's long-anticipated arrival couldn't prevent the already-eliminated Wild from putting a serious dent in the Avs' playoff aspirations with a win behind Marian Gaborik's eighth career hat trick.
Sharks 4, Stars 1
At San Jose, Calif., Captain Patrick Marleau tied the Sharks' single-season points record, Jonathan Cheechoo scored his 49th goal and the Sharks won their fourth straight.
Joe Thornton had two assists in a three-goal third period for the Sharks, who moved into a seventh-place tie with Edmonton in the Western Conference standings with 91 points - and San Jose has played two fewer games than the Oilers.
Rookies Steve Bernier and Patrick Rissmiller also scored for San Jose.
Sergei Zubov scored the lone goal for Dallas.
credit BellSouth
Rookie Jason Bacashihua carried a shutout into the final minute, one of several inspired performances that helped the team end a franchise-record 13-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night.
"Everybody in here is happy for him," Bacashihua said. "We knew it was a big night for him, so we wanted to go out as a team and play well."
The game drew a paid crowd of 19,090, the second-largest of the season. The Blues, who were outscored 53-21 during their slump, knew why the seats were filled for once.
"We haven't had a crowd like that and there's a reason: it's because of Al," Mayers said. "It reminded me of back when we used to get those crowds."
In other games it was: New Jersey 3, New York Rangers 2; Florida 6, Tampa Bay 3; Minnesota 5, Colorado 2; and San Jose 4, Dallas 1.
The 42-year-old MacInnis, whose fearsome slap shot helped him earn 13 All-Star berths and win seven hardest-shot competitions, retired before this season due to eye and shoulder injuries.
"I wish I could skate one more shift, take one more slap shot from the blue line, for the best fans of hockey," MacInnis said in his speech. "But knowing my No. 2 will forever have a home here is more than I could ask.
"I'm forever a St. Louis Blue."
Those and other words of inspiration helped the young Blues, who have one of the worst records in the NHL, put a dent in the Oilers' playoff hopes. The Oilers declined to participate in the 45-minute pre-game ceremony, complaining that it was inappropriate before a late-season game with postseason implications.
Among those not involved was defenseman Chris Pronger, a longtime teammate of MacInnis' before being traded last September. Pronger, who was booed frequently throughout the game, said it was "immaterial" whether the MacInnis ceremony was a distraction.
"We're professionals and we have to come to work and play the game," Pronger said. "They had to sit through the same thing except they had to sit on the bench."
A video tribute from Oilers coach Craig MacTavish was aired with under two minutes to go, however. Pronger said he also did a video.
"But did they lose it?" he said. "I think they lost it."
MacTavish complained that his team has run into a handful of pregame ceremonies this season.
"The perfect guest again," MacTavish said. "I wondered why they were going to pick us to retire Al MacInnis' jersey."
Bacashihua, who made his first start in about 2 1/2 months on Saturday at Colorado, is getting a chance to play due to season-ending injuries to Curtis Sanford and Patrick Lalime. He made 36 saves and was particularly strong in the first half of the third period, when the Oilers outshot the Blues 14-1.
Pronger scored his 12th goal on a power play with 24.1 seconds to go for the Oilers, who fell into a tie for seventh in the Western Conference after the Sharks' 4-1 victory over the Stars. They're two points ahead of the idle Canucks.
Devils 3, Rangers 2
At East Rutherford, N.J., Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta scored 39 seconds apart in the third period to lift surging New Jersey to its seventh straight win.
Sergei Brylin also scored for the Devils and Martin Brodeur made 24 saves.The victory gave the Devils 93 points, pulling them within two of fifth-place Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference.
The Atlantic Division-leading Rangers, who had won three in a row, got goals from Blair Betts and Sandis Ozolinsh while Kevin Weekes made 23 saves.
Panthers 6, Lightning 3
At Sunrise, Fla., Juraj Kolnik and Olli Jokinen each scored two goals to help Florida beat Tampa Bay.
Nathan Horton and Joe Nieuwendyk also had goals for Florida and Jamie McLennan made 29 saves.
Vaclav Prospal, Dan Boyle and Martin St. Louis tallied goals for Tampa Bay. John Grahame had 41 saves for the Lightning, who remain tied with Montreal at 89 points for the final two playoff berths in the Eastern Conference.
Wild 5, Avalanche 2
At Denver, The Pepsi Center crowd went wild after Peter Budaj surrendered back-to-back goals to Minnesota 42 seconds apart early in the first period of the Avalanche's loss.
That's right. They cheered. Because into the crease skated Jose Theodore for his Colorado debut a month and a day after his trade from Montreal.
The cheers didn't last, however, as Theodore's long-anticipated arrival couldn't prevent the already-eliminated Wild from putting a serious dent in the Avs' playoff aspirations with a win behind Marian Gaborik's eighth career hat trick.
Sharks 4, Stars 1
At San Jose, Calif., Captain Patrick Marleau tied the Sharks' single-season points record, Jonathan Cheechoo scored his 49th goal and the Sharks won their fourth straight.
Joe Thornton had two assists in a three-goal third period for the Sharks, who moved into a seventh-place tie with Edmonton in the Western Conference standings with 91 points - and San Jose has played two fewer games than the Oilers.
Rookies Steve Bernier and Patrick Rissmiller also scored for San Jose.
Sergei Zubov scored the lone goal for Dallas.
credit BellSouth