ST. LOUIS -- A week ago, Jaroslav Halak couldnt wait to get off the ice and find a place to hide. Hed been no relief at all after replacing Brian Elliott in net in New Jersey and was embarrassed along with the rest of St. Louis Blues. "I can speak for myself: I was hoping the game was over after the second period," Halak said. The bad taste is all gone now. Alexander Steen gave the Blues the early lead and Halak earned his fourth shutout of the season and was the games first star in a 3-0 victory over the Devils on Tuesday night. New Jersey had 23 shots, the same as it needed in a 7-1 rout at home last week, but, this time, had nothing to show for it. "It was weird, going to New York and getting back and playing Jersey again," Halak said. "It was a good thing we got it over with and we didnt have to wait." Brenden Morrow added a power-play goal midway through the third period and Maxim Lapierre scored into an empty net with 2:08 left. Patrik Berglund assisted on both third-period scores. "I think the more we learn from those types of games the better, because thats never a good recipe when youre chasing games," Morrow said. "Good teams stay with their structure, stay with their system and let that roll over and get back into the game that way, and I think we learned our lesson there." The Blues have won three straight and moved a point ahead of the Blackhawks, who played later at Calgary, for the Central Division lead. St. Louis cleaned up on defence a week after getting whipped in New Jersey when Halak allowed four goals in 14 shots after relieving Elliott. Halak has started all three games since that setback, allowing a total of four goals. Hes 7-1-1 in his last nine starts with a 1.77 goals-against average and .940 save percentage. The Devils mustered little offensively coming off a 7-3 loss to the Rangers at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. They were shut out for the sixth time, although this was the first time in 35 games. "Well, we didnt have many chances to score, but they played great tight defence and we had nothing," said forward Jaromir Jagr, held to two shots. "We had chances but not 100 per cent chances." The Devils have the NHLs second-best power play but were 0 for 5 against Halak. "Two totally different games," coach Peter DeBoer said. "Both goaltenders were very good. I dont think that was the case last week in New Jersey." The Blues are an NHL-best 17-3-1 against the Eastern Conference, and 9-0 at home. Steen was the NHLs second-leading goal scorer in late December before missing 11 games with a concussion. Hes been back six games and has a point in the last five with three goals and four assists. "He is a very dynamic player," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "For him to get to the elite level where he was before, I think he just has to learn to get back to the right balance between reward and risk. "He had an unbelievable balance of reward and risk going before he got hurt." Halak and Brian Elliott have combined for seven shutouts this season. Halak has won four straight starts with two shutouts this month, and holds the franchise mark with 20 shutouts in four seasons. Morrow deflected a waist-high shot past Cory Schneider for his eighth goal and first point in nine games, capitalizing on a tripping call against Bryce Salvador. St. Louis killed off Roman Polaks high-sticking penalty just nine seconds into the game, and then took the lead on Steens 27th goal at 3:25. Steen scored his 100th goal in six seasons with St. Louis scoring from the slot on an odd-man rush with assists by Jaden Schwartz and David Backes. Alex Pietrangelo took a holding call foiling a break-in by Stephen Gionta late in the period and, again, the St. Louis penalty killers came through. The Blues Vladimir Sobotka hit the goal post on an odd-man rush with just under five minutes to go. The Devils played in St. Louis for the first time since Nov. 20, 2010, a 3-2 Blues victory. NOTES: NFL Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf, who recently retired from broadcasting, wore a Blues jersey with his number 72 while watching from a private box. ... New Jersey is 5-16-3 when trailing after two periods. ... Jagr had totalled two goals and four assists the previous four games. ... Steen has seven game-winners in 41 games this season. The previous two seasons, he totalled six game-winners in 83 games. Cheap Fake Jordan 1 .S. - Nova Scotias Mary Fay guaranteed at least one more match and a shot at the Canadian junior curling championships final on home ice. Cheap Air Jordan 1 China . The club says its first-choice centre back "underwent medical tests on Wednesday morning" which confirmed he has injured his right hamstring. The injury was caused in the second minute of Tuesdays 4-1 league win over Real Sociedad in the Camp Nou when teammate Sergio Busquets accidentally struck Mascherano just above the knee with an outstretched boot. http://www.fakejordancheap.com/wholesale...x-97-china.html. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are disappointed, though not discouraged. Air Max 90 Outlet . I suppose Sternberg has earned the right to speak out since his Rays, despite one of the lowest payrolls in the Majors at $58 million, are entering the final weekend of the regular season holding down the first Wild Card spot in the American League, one game ahead of Cleveland and two up on Texas. Cheap Fake Jordan Shoes . HABS HEADED TO CONFERENCE FINAL The Montreal Canadiens scored early in Game Seven, built a lead and protected it well on their way to a 3-1 series-clinching win over the Boston Bruins. While this game or series isnt necessarily a referendum on the value of fourth lines, the Canadiens certainly benefitted from production lower down their forward depth chart.ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The Oakland Raiders added a veteran presence to their young receiving group by signing free agent James Jones to a three-year contract Monday. Oakland also signed former New York Giants offensive lineman Kevin Boothe to a two-year deal. Boothe began his career with the Raiders in 2006 before spending the past seven seasons with the Giants, where he won two Super Bowl titles. Jones, who turns 30 later this month, brings a playoff pedigree and proven pass-catching ability to a position whose most experienced player currently under contract is inconsistent three-year veteran Denarius Moore. "We have a lot of young receivers," Jones said. "Ive been in the game for a minute, so Ill be able to help those guys out leadership-wise. Other than that, just doing what I do on the football field, making some plays, and hopefully I can give the offence a spark." General manager Reggie McKenzie once again reached back to his past in Green Bays front office to add a piece to the Raiders. Among the many other former Packers that McKenzie has brought in since taking over as general manager in 2012 are Charles Woodson and Matt Flynn. Jones said he has been talking to the Raiders the past few days and was lured to Oakland by McKenzies vision for a franchise that has not made the playoffs since 2002. "The way he runs his team the GM way is the kind of way I play out on the football field; just hungry and trying to be the best, and thats how Reggie is," Jones said. "Im excited to play for Reggie and hopefully we can turn this thing around." Jones has 310 career catches for 4,305 yards and 37 touchdowns in 104 games over seven seasons in Green Bay. His most productive year came in 2012 when he had 64 catches for 784 yards and 14 touchdowns. Jones had 59 catches for a career-high 817 yards and three scores last season despite being without star quarterback Aaron Rodgers for seven games. But after playing with Rodgers and Brett Favre his first seven seasons, Jones now joins a team with uncertainty at quarterback. Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin return after splittiing most of the time last season but Oakland still is searching for its starter and will likely add more quarterbacks either through free agency or the draft.dddddddddddd "Aaron is one of a kind. Hes a special player," Jones said. "Whoever we put behind centre here, I am going to do the same thing I did for Aaron - just run every route to win, be as open as I can to help whoever is back there and to get this offence rolling." The deal is a homecoming for Jones, who was born in San Jose and played college ball at San Jose State. Jones overcame many obstacles on his journey to the NFL, having been in and out of homeless shelters for much of his childhood. The Raiders have been lacking a veteran presence at receiver for years. Their top receiver last year was Rod Streater, a former undrafted free agent who led the team with 60 catches for 888 yards in his second pro season. The other key receivers on the roster include Moore, who has shown flashes of stardom in three seasons, and Andre Holmes, who had 22 catches for 366 yards and a touchdown over the final five games in 2013. Boothe has started 32 games the past two seasons and has started at both guard positions and centre in his career. He was a starter when the Giants won the Super Bowl following the 2011 season and a reserve on their title team four years earlier. Boothe joins right tackle Austin Howard as additions on a line that lost starting left tackle Jared Veldheer to free agency. "I like the direction of the team," Boothe said. "Theyve put some pieces together here and its a great culture that theyre building over here, and I am excited to be a part of it. The fact that I have been here before, obviously, this place has always held a special place in my heart as the team that drafted me." McKenzie has placed a premium on acquiring players with winning experience so far this off-season. Six of the seven free-agent additions to Oaklands roster over the past week have played in a Super Bowl, with Jones, Boothe and defensive linemen Justin Tuck and LaMarr Woodley having won it all in previous stops. ' ' '
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