DETROIT (AP) -- Pavel Datsyuk came to the Detroit Red Wings'
rescue again.
Ray Whitney's tiebreaking goal with 5:15 remaining lifted
Detroit to a 2-1 victory over St. Louis on Monday night, snapping
the Blues' nine-game unbeaten streak (7-0-2).
The Red Wings are 6-1-1 in their past eight games against the
Blues, who have only lost two games -- both to Detroit -- in their
past 14 (9-2-3).
Datsyuk scored the other Detroit goal and assisted on Whitney's
winner. Curtis Joseph made 24 saves, including several during a
flurry in the final minute.
"If you're the team up, you hope so," Joseph said when asked
if the Red Wings were in the heads of St. Louis' players. "And if
you're the team that's down, you hope not."
Dallas Drake scored the Blues' goal, and Chris Osgood made 22
saves.
After Datsyuk forced Alexander Khavanov into turning the puck
over to Brett Hull -- the puck finally glanced off Datsyuk's skate
to Hull -- behind the St. Louis net, Hull found Whitney in front.
Whitney then put a shot past Chris Osgood.
"I don't know, I don't know how," Datsyuk said when asked how
he got the puck away from Khavanov.
Datsyuk has scored or assisted on nine of the Red Wings' 17
goals the past six games.
"I think you're looking at a guy who is learning the game
day-by-day," Hull said about Datsyuk, who is tied for second in
the NHL with 42 points.
St. Louis broke a scoreless tie 8:52 into the second period on
Drake's power-play goal. His shot from the bottom of the left
circle beat Joseph, who was sprawling.
Detroit tied it 1-1 three minutes later on Datsyuk's
short-handed goal.
After stealing the puck from Scott Mellanby at the Red Wings
blue line, Datsyuk went in on a breakaway as he fought off
Christian Backman. Datsyuk's shot hit Osgood's pads, bounced over
the goaltender and into the net.
"We made a couple of key errors that cost us," Mellanby said.
"It's part of hockey."
Game notes
The Blues were without LW Keith Tkachuk (ankle) and C Peter
Cajanek (sore neck). ... Datsyuk's goal broke a scoreless stretch
of 97 minutes, 58 seconds for the Red Wings. Their previous goal,
in Friday's 3-2 win over Chicago, was also scored short-handed by
Nicklas Lidstrom. ... St. Louis' Doug Weight didn't play in the
third period because he reaggravated a groin injury.