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 After missing the first 40 games of the season while recovering from
offseason shoulder surgery, Berglund's presence on the ice has
helped the Blues withstand a series of injuries that knocked out
several key players.
Playing just his sixth game Tuesday night, Berglund scored a pair of
power-play goals to lead the Blues to a 5-2 win over the New Jersey
Devils, their first regulation win since Dec. 22, a span of 10
games.
"It feels pretty good out there, I feel comfortable," Berglund said.
"Today I was just in the right place at the right time, twice. We've
got to use the players we have. Every night is two points we have to
fight for."
Berglund's first goal came off a rebound at 10:04 of the opening
period, giving the Blues a 1-0 lead, and he added his second goal at
17:14 of the second period, deflecting a pass from defenseman Alex
Pietrangelo past Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid, making just his ninth
start of the season and first since Dec. 29.
That goal came with just seven seconds left in a boarding penalty to
Devils' defenseman Damon Severson and sent the Blues to their fifth
consecutive win over the Devils, who have not won in St. Louis since
Dec. 30, 2008.
Coach Ken Hitchcock has been pleased with how well Berglund has
played since he rejoined the team on Jan. 2. The two-goal game was
the 11th multi-goal game in Berglund's career.
"He's playing really well right now," Hitchcock said. "This is
really five of the six games that he's played well in. When you see
that you can play him at a high level. You always worry with a
player coming back from a long-term injury -- when does he hit the
wall? I think he hit the wall earlier than we thought and now he's
punched through it.
"He seems more energized now than he's ever been, which is a good
sign for us."
The Blues also got goals from left winger Scottie Upshall, which
tied the game at 2-2 early in the second period, and from rookie
right winger Ty Rattie, who scored his first NHL goal in his 19th
game early in the third period. Center David Backes added an
empty-net goal in the closing seconds.
The Devils' got first-period goals from left winger Bobby Farnham
and right winger Lee Stempniak and had a chance to increase the lead
to 3-1 early in the second period when goalie Brian Elliott robbed
left winger Joseph Blandisi of his first career goal.
"That turned the game," Hitchcock said. "That's 3-1 and we're
chasing big time. That save really jacked up the bench. We needed
it."
Blandisi did earn his first career point in the game, getting the
second assist on Stempniak's goal.
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Devils' coach John Hynes thought Rattie's goal, which gave the Blues
a 4-2 lead 2:21 into the third period, was the difference in the
game.
"We didn't have much of a response after the fourth goal," Hynes
said. "We didn't have a lot of pushback and get ourselves right back
in it. We didn't have much after that.
"We have to have a little bit more resolve to get ourselves back in
there and then you cut it to one and then you have you get a little
bit more momentum. We just didn't have any pushback there."
Said Kinkaid, "It was a good first two periods and they came out
strong in the third and obviously the penalty trouble didn't really
help us. They have a really good power play.so that kind of changed
the game."
The goal by Rattie was the first by the Blues in the third period in
seven games, and Berglund knows winning that period will be a key to
the team being able to withstand the onslaught of injuries.
"We have to find ways," Berglund said. "It's easier when you are
playing. I've been waiting a long time, it's exciting to be
playing."
NOTES: The Blues played Tuesday night without four injured regulars:
C Paul Stastny, LW Magnus Paajarvi and D Jay Bouwmeester and Carl
Gunnarsson -- all of whom were hurt in games Friday and Saturday.
Blues G Jake Allen also is out for at least two weeks with a
lower-body injury. ... RW Ty Rattie and D Chris Butler, recalled
from Chicago of the American Hockey League, were inserted into the
Blues' lineup. ... The Devils were without their leading scorer, LW
Michael Cammalleri, who missed his sixth consecutive game because of
an upper-body injury. ... The Devils said C Patrik Elias underwent
arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Tuesday and will be out
indefinitely. He has not played since Dec. 19. ... The Blues host
Carolina on Thursday while New Jersey plays at Colorado.
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