ST. LOUIS (AP) -- It really doesn't matter where Dominik Hasek
and the Detroit Red Wings play. They win wherever they are.
Hasek stopped 28 shots in stretching his unbeaten streak to 15
games Saturday in the Red Wings' latest victory -- a 5-2 decision
over the St. Louis Blues.
Detroit has won a team-record eight straight on the road. The
Red Wings have also won their last eight overall, one win shy of
the team's record winning streak.
Luc Robitaille scored twice for the Red Wings, who lead the NHL
with 100 points and a 46-11-6-2 record.
"Today, we were up against the best," Blues coach Joel
Quenneville said. "They got some much skill and talent with the
puck. They turn marginal chances into great chances. They have
patience in the scoring area. You know, that power play is
deadly."
Detroit was 2-for-9 with the man-advantage.
Hasek, traded from Buffalo to Detroit in the offseason, is
13-0-2 since his last loss Jan. 16 at Phoenix.
"He's been on a good roll for the last six weeks," Detroit
coach Scotty Bowman said. "Really, he's been good all year. He
seems to make the big saves when we need it."
Detroit is 10-1 in its last 11 and hasn't lost since Feb. 8. The
Red Wings have won all three games against the Blues this season
and are the NHL's top road team at 20-6-3-2.
"They obviously are the best team in the league right now,"
Blues captain Chris Pronger said.
Robitaille, who has 29 goals in his first season with Detroit,
has scored six times in six games.
The Blues, winless in six games (0-4-2), are 4-3-4 in their 10
games at home against Detroit.
"When it rains it really pours, and it seems like it's pouring
right now," St. Louis goalie Brent Johnson said.
The Red Wings outshot the Blues 13-8 in the opening period to
build a 2-1 advantage.
Detroit went ahead 1-0 on a power-play goal by Tomas Holmstrom,
who put in a rebound from in front at 6:24.
Johnson blocked Sergei Fedorov's shot, but the puck squirted
out, and Holmstrom backhanded it in for the goal. The assist gave
Fedorov 499 for his career.
"Everywhere a rebound went, their guy was," Johnson said.
Robitaille gave Detroit a 2-0 lead at 13:39 when he pushed in a
rebound past a sprawled Johnson.
"The goal was a result of a great play by Steve Duchesne,"
Robitaille said. "I just kept pushing at the puck."
Scott Mellanby scored his 10th goal at 17:21. With the teams
playing 4-on-4, Mellanby carried the puck in and shot from the
right side as he was falling down. The puck hit the post, but
bounced off Hasek's back and in, cutting the Detroit lead to 2-1.
"We played with some fear, and that can be a good thing,"
Mellanby said. "We weren't afraid to lose. We wanted to outcompete
them. We had a chance to beat the top team in the league."
The Blues opened with a 10-1 shot advantage in the second period
but Detroit outscored St. Louis 2-1 for a 4-2 lead.
"They were trying to do anything to score," Hasek said. "I
had to handle some tough shots."
Cory Stillman tied it at 2 at 2:54 of the second period with a
power-play goal.
Fedorov scored on the power play at 12:59, giving Detroit a 3-2
lead.
Stationed at the left corner of the net, Robitaille took a
perfect pass from Jason Williams and directed it in at 17:52 to
make it 4-2.
"The key to the power play was that we moved the puck well,"
Robitaille said. "We made some pretty passes."
Pavel Datsyuk scored an empty-net goal at 18:35.
Game notes
Blues forward Keith Tkachuk missed his fifth consecutive
game because of a deep thigh bruise sustained during the Olympics.
... Bowman needs eight victories to tie Jack Adams (413) for the
most wins by a Detroit coach. ... Detroit D Chris Chelios is four
assists away from 700 career. ... Red Wings LW Brendan Shanahan is
one goal shy of 500 for his career. ... The Red Wings have scored
nine power-play goals in six games.