Blues Light Up Flames

It was a disappointing homecoming for Grant Fuhr.

Fuhr, making his first trip to St. Louis since being traded from the Blues to Calgary in the offseason, was chased from the net early in the third period of Tuesday night's 7-1 loss to his former team.

"I was looking forward to it," Fuhr said. "It's not the night I'd planned."

Pierre Turgeon had two goals and two assists, and his fifth goal of the season at 1:12 of the third brought Fred Brathwaite in to replace Fuhr. Chris Pronger added three assists for the Blues, who put it away with three goals in a span of 4:26 to make it 5-1 in the second period.

The 37-year-old Fuhr played four seasons with the Blues before he was traded to make room for new starting goalie Roman Turek. Fuhr, looking to become the sixth goalie to win 400 games, allowed six goals on 26 shots.

Coach Brian Sutter absolved Fuhr of all blame, saying he pulled him only because he wasn't getting any support.

"It's a tough call because the guy's got a lot of pride," Sutter said. "He was playing pretty darn well. He was left high and dry."

Turek also thought Fuhr deserved better.

"I think he made some very good saves, but the team did not help him much," Turek said. "Most every goal was a rebound, empty net, 2-on-1. It's very hard to play that way."

The Blues also beat Fuhr and the Flames 4-1 Oct. 6 in Calgary. Fuhr is 1-4-1 this season with a 4.38 goals against avrage and .849 save percentage.

"Body feels good, mind's good," Fuhr said. "Evening wasn't."

Turgeon skated in alone off a nice pass from Pronger and scored from the right circle midway through the second, Craig Conroy scored a shorthanded goal, and Michal Handzus knocked in a rebound as Fuhr turned the wrong way.

Lubos Bartecko, recalled from Worcester of the IHL on Monday, and Scott Young also scored their first goals of the season for the Blues. Young's goal at 1:08 of the second was his 500th career point.

Turek had a strong game with 22 saves against the struggling Flames, who are 1-5-2. Sutter also credited Turek with outstanding acting after the stick of Cory Stillman brushed his helmet at 10:10 of the second period.

The Flames were in the second minute of a five-minute power play at the time, and Turek spun around and flopped to the ice after the collision to draw a high-sticking penalty on Stillman.

"They embellished it and got away with it," Sutter said. "That's where the whole game turned around."

Valeri Bure got his sixth goal for the Flames when he put in his own deflection off the goal post in the second period.

Brathwaite gave up a power-play goal to Pavol Demitra with 2:01 to go.

Before the game, the Blues honored Norris Trophy winner Al MacInnis, who is out 3-5 weeks with a broken left ankle.

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