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Backes has 2 goals, assist to lead Blues past Jets

“We want to just see if we can build a little different type of energy with the same players”, Blues coach Ken Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before the Jets win.

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Frans Nielsen, Brock Nelson and Steve Bernier also scored, and Kyle Okposo had three assists – to increase his team-leading total to 12 – as the Islanders won for the third time in four games. While I think the Jackets are somewhere in between and am not as high on them as others they do have a nice roster and at home against a Blues team who is coming off a win against Winnipeg last night I think they are in a decent position and will have to play a complete game in order to get the victory. It was Desharnais’ sixth goal of the season. After winning the race to the puck in the Jets zone, Kevin Shattenkirk sent it in front for David Backes and he outmaneuvered Hutchinson for the Blues second goal. The penalty kill continued its strong play as it killed off a Gunnarsson roughing call 40 seconds after Tarasenko scored by allowing zero shots on goal. Vladimir Tarasenko added a goal and an assist in the victory over the Jets, which ended a two-game slide, and has put up five points in the last three contests and 18 overall.TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN OH (Columbus)ABOUT THE BLUES (12-5-1): Backes, who also had an assist Monday, moved to a line with Tarasenko and Alexander Steen and ended a four-game point drought while center Jori Lehtera played with Troy Brouwer and Dmitrij Jaskin. “He had an opportunity to spend more time in the offensive zone, which is a real good sign”. “Based on the beating we took in Nashville, a lot of really good things (happened)”, Maurice said about the loss to the Blues.

Tarasenko didn’t score the second goal, but he made it possible.

Dustin Byfuglien and Bryan Little scored and Michael Hutchinson finished with 25 saves for the Jets, who have lost five straight. “I think we’re still trying to learn how to keep up the level of intensity for 60 minutes”. But they kept their discipline and were rewarded when Winnipeg took a delay of game penalty with under seven minutes to go.

Panthers 1, Lightning 0: Aaron Ekblad scored with 20.2 seconds left to give host Florida a win over Tampa Bay. There’s a feeling there’s these emotional swings and they’re very draining, and I think we’re doing that to ourselves. We were competitive in the game. Adam Lowry got called for interference seconds after Brian Little took a hard slash on the wrist with no call.

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He’s on quite a roll to start 2015-16, with 10 goals in his first 16 games and humming along at a point-per-game pace. He made his St. Louis debut on Monday, appearing in his 26th career National Hockey League game and first since the 2013-14 season…. That settled the Blues down and they were able to control possession enough in the third period that the Jets’ only good chances came late in the period after they pulled their goalie. But trailing by two the Jets got on the scoreboard to start the period.

Winnipeg Jets Bryan Little is congratulated by teammate Mathieu Perreault right after scoring past St. Louis Blues goalie Jake Allen left during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday Nov. 16 2015 in St. Louis. (AP