Clipped Wings

If the St. Louis Blues had any rust from a week's layoff, it didn't show.

The Blues, who clearly were pumped for Detroit, remained the only unbeaten team in the NHL playoffs as they knocked off the Red Wings 4-2 Friday night behind Jim Campbell's two third-period goals in the opener of their second-round series.

"They're the defending champions and they are a fantastic hockey club," Brett Hull said as "Disco Inferno" by the Tramps blasted from the sound system in the Blues' jubilant dressing room. "That was a big win for us. That was huge."

Hull and Todd Gill Hull also scored for the Blues, who swept the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. Martin Lapointe and Tomas Holmstrom scored for the Red Wings, who are trying to become the first team since 1992 to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

"We've got to play at a higher tempo than that," Detroit forward Steve Yzerman said. "We just didn't play a high-tempo game. It was a little slow and a little sloppy."

A little sluggishness might have been expected.

It was the first game for St. Louis since sweeping the Kings on April 29, and the Blues were off for almost a week before they really even knew who their next opponent would be. The Red Wings hadn't played since Sunday when they eliminated Phoenix in six games.

But the layoff didn't seem to bother the Blues in the least.

"Well, you know, it's the playoffs," Hull said. "We're up for this. We're pumped, because those are the defending champs."

Game 2 of the best-of-7 Western Conference series will be played Sunday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena. Action then shifts to St. Louis for Games 3 and 4 beginning Tuesday night.

"Remember, it's only one game," Hull said. "But, you've got to win one before you can win two."

The game turned in the final seconds of the second period.

With the score tied 1-1, Detroit forward Brent Gilchrist was sent off for obstruction tripping with 10.5 seconds remaining in the period. Then, just as time expired, Yzerman was caught high-sticking Chris Pronger.

"I retaliated to a hit," Yzerman said. "I shouldn't have done that."

His mistake enabled St. Louis to open the third period with a 5-on-3 advantage and the Blues needed only 18 seconds to make the Red Wings pay as Campbell, standing in front, snapped a shot past Chris Osgood for his fourth playoff goal and a 2-1 lead.

"It was a huge goal for us," Campbell said. "We had killed their 5-on-3 earlier. Then, for us to take it in there and get a quick goal like that was huge for us."

Hull's third playoff goal, on a nice feed by Pierre Turgeon from behind the net, made it 3-1 at 3:48 of the period.

"They can come back quick," Campbell said.

Campbell scored again at 10:28, two seconds after Detroit's Bob Rouse had finished serving a slashing penalty. Holmstrom scored on a power play with 3:14 remaining for the final margin.

It seemed clear from the outset that the two evenly-matched teams would have to rely on breaks, and that's the pattern the game settled into.

The Blues didn't get a shot on goal until 3:55 of the first period, but it went in.

Gill gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal, his first of the playoffs. Gill got in alone on Osgood when Viacheslav Fetisov was a step slow in covering and ripped a shot past the Detroit goalie from the slot.

Lapointe's first goal tied the game 1-1 at 14:33 of the second period. Lapointe was being jostled in the slot by Rudy Poechek as Igor Larionov cut loose with a shot from a few feet inside the blue line. Lapointe's stick was about waist level when the puck kissed off and whizzed past Grant Fuhr.

The shots were even at 29 for each side, but Fuhr was named the game's No. 1 star.

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