Blues Host Ducks, Try To End Home Slide
(Sports Network) - The St. Louis Blues will attempt to halt their home losing streak tonight, as they host the Anaheim Ducks at Scottrade Center.The Blues are 4-4-1 as the host this year, but have dropped three straight and five of their last six in St. Louis. That includes a 3-2 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday. Montreal's Alex Kovalev had the lone tally in the shootout, beating Blues netminder Manny Legace with a backhander under the crossbar. Legace ended with 24 saves, as St. Louis lost for the ninth time in 11 games. Steve Regier accounted for both St. Louis goals, the first two of his NHL career. The 24-year-old Regier, who was recalled from the team's American Hockey League affiliate in Peoria before the game, was playing in only his 19th career NHL contest. His previous 18 games were with the New York Islanders. St. Louis will play without Andy McDonald, who suffered a fractured left leg in the first period of Sunday's game. The 31-year-old will not need surgery, but will miss the next eight weeks of action. McDonald has six goals and 12 assists for a team-high 18 points in 16 games this season, his second with the organization. St. Louis acquired the forward from Anaheim on December 14 of last year. McDonald's old team wrapped a six-game homestand on Wednesday with a 6-4 loss to Washington. The setback gave the Ducks a 2-3-1 mark on the residency. Bobby Ryan contributed two goals and an assist for Anaheim, Ryan Getzlaf added a goal and an assist, while Corey Perry notched three assists in the loss. The Ducks now hit the road, where they have won five straight after dropping their first two as the visiting club to begin the season. Coming off his first-career shutout, Jonas Hiller made his second straight start but was pulled after he allowed three goals on six shots. Jean-Sebastien Giguere finished with 24 saves. Hiller was in net for Anaheim's 5-2 win over the Blues in early November, his first-career start against them. Giguere, who is 0-3-1 in his last four starts with a 4.26 goals against average, is 13-6-1 with a 2.23 GAA lifetime against St. Louis. The Ducks have won three straight and nine of their last 12 against the Blues, but have dropped two in a row and six of their last nine in St. Louis. Legace is 10-2-1 with a 2.04 GAA in his career against the Ducks.
Copyright 2008 Courtesy of The Sports Network.








