Blues Shut Down Bruins 3-1

February 6, 1998 / 12:00 AM EST / AP

A power failure turned into a power surge for the St. Louis Blues as they scored during both of Boston's penalties and beat the Bruins 3-1 Thursday night.

The win came a day after the Blues were scoreless on all six power plays in a 3-2 loss in Toronto that snapped their three-game unbeaten streak.

"Our power play was so poor (Wednesday) night, we knew we had to do better," Blues coach Joel Quenneville said. "The biggest difference was we moved the puck well."

They knew they wouldn't have many chances against the Bruins, the NHL's least penalized team.

"When you get a man advantage, you have to do all you can with it," said Jim Campbell, whose second-period goal made the score 2-0.

One thing that didn't change is the Blues' success in the second game when they play on consecutive nights. They're 8-0-2 in those games, in part because backup goalie Jamie McLennan is always fresh when he steps in for Grant Fuhr.

"Jamie always plays in the second game of back-to-backs and he is always ready," Quenneville said.

Pavol Demitra and Campbell scored late during the power plays and McLennan held Boston scoreless for 52 minutes.

"We sat back too much in the first two periods," Boston's Don Sweeney said. "We played the third period with desperation and more spark but that wasn't good enough."

Rookie Joe Thornton, the first pick in the NHL draft, scored the Bruins' goal with 7:51 left. Then they went on a power play with 6:11 to go but couldn't get a shot on McLennan.

St. Louis clinched the game on Darren Turcotte's empty-net goal with 23 seconds remaining.

"Too many guys just didn't show up to play," Bruins coach Pat Burns said. "If we play five or six more games like this we won't make" the playoffs.

The Blues are 3-1-1 in their last five games, while Boston had two ties and a win in its previous three games.

McLennan stopped 25 shots and just missed his first career shutout in 71 NHL games when Thornton got his third goal of the season.

Darren Van Impe picked up a loose puck near the blue line in Boston's offensive zone and fired it at McLennan. Thornton, just in front of the crease, deflected it in.

Then the Bruins had a power play when Blair Atcheynum was penalized for interfering with goaltender Byron Dafoe but didn't come close to scoring.

The Blues were ranked just 18th in the NHL in power-play goals, converting on 13.6 per cent of their opportunities. But they were perfect Thursday.

Demitra gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead with his 17th goal with 47 seconds left in the first period and only 10 seconds left in Tim Taylor's tripping penalty.

Chris Pronger's shot hit Dafoe on the mask and bounced off Boston defenseman Don Sweeney in front of the net. Demitra knocked it in before Sweeney could get his stick on it.

Campbell made it 2-0 with his 15th goal at 6:36 of the second period. Geoff Courtnall, who had assisted on Demitra's goal, passed from the right aceoff circle to just in front of the goal crease. Campbell then flicked the puck under Dafoe's stick.

Turcotte's ninth goal on assists by Atcheynum and Pronger ended Boston's comeback hopes.