Blues Go Extra Mile for Victory

Pavol Demitra said the St. Louis Blues had the New York Islanders right where they wanted them in overtime.

“We have a lot of great players, and that sure makes it fun to play four on four,” Demitra said.

Demitra, who dislocated a finger on his left hand earlier in the game, ended the game with his 21st goal 1:01 into overtime, giving the Blues a 3-2 win at St. Louis.

The victory extended the Blues’ unbeaten streak to four games, and more important, earned them an extra point.

St. Louis held onto the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Blues and Kings are tied with 75 points, but St. Louis has the edge with six more victories.

Toronto 5, Florida 0 -- Ed Belfour made 15 saves for his seventh shutout of the season, and Gary Roberts scored twice as the Maple Leafs won at Toronto.

Belfour recorded his 72nd career shutout, putting him ahead of Harry Lumley for 10th on the NHL career list. Belfour, plagued recently by a sore back, was rarely tested as the Panthers managed only 12 shots through the first two periods.

Philadelphia 3, New Jersey 1 -- John LeClair had a goal and two assists, and the Flyers opened a seven-point lead over New Jersey in the Atlantic Division with a victory at East Rutherford, N.J.

Pittsburgh 4, Dallas 0 -- Jean-Sebastien Aubin stopped 45 shots for his sixth career shutout and the host Penguins ended the Stars’ nine-game unbeaten streak.

New York Rangers 2, Atlanta 0 -- Jaromir Jagr scored late in the first period and Mike Dunham recorded his second shutout of the season as the Rangers won at Atlanta.

Boston 3, Nashville 2 -- Joe Thornton scored his second goal with 1:52 left to lift the Bruins at Nashville.

Edmonton 1, Calgary 1 -- Shawn Horcoff scored for the Oilers at 9:53 of the third period to offset a goal by Ville Nieminen at Calgary, Canada.

Minnesota 4, San Jose 3 -- Zbynek Michalek and Alexandre Daigle scored goals 1:35 apart in the second period, and the Wild ended a seven-game winless streak with a victory at San Jose.