Backes scores twice in Blues' 4-1 win

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues found a way to pull out a win against a good road team despite losing Scott Nichol and Carlo Colaiacovo and having a goal waved off.

The Blues lost Nichol after he was ejected for spearing, and Colaiacovo went out with a hamstring injury in the first period. The Blues had a goal disallowed in the second period, but none of it mattered.

David Backes scored twice, Jaroslav Halak stopped 20 shots, and the Blues beat the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Thursday.

"I thought we really grabbed the game in the third period," new Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We played really well and with a sense of discipline. It was a hard game.

"We did a number and a job we're supposed to do, and we did it at home. Now we've got to take it on the road. It's whether we can take this same type of intensity and effort onto the road. That's the next challenge facing us."

Chris Porter had his first goal of the season, and Kris Russell added his second with St. Louis. The win finished a 4-0-1 homestand under Hitchcock, who is off to the best start in club history. Leo Boivin (1976) and Jacques Demers (1984) both started 4-1.

"Whenever you lose one guy, let alone two, we did a great job of sticking together," Porter said. "Everybody was ready when they were called on. We just rolled them over."

The Panthers, who lead the NHL with seven road wins, had their four-game road-winning streak snapped. They got 27 saves from Jose Theodore.

"We've had numerous times this year where we've settled down after bad stretches, and we didn't do that tonight," Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said. "In the third period, I think they were a very hungry team. They smelled that we were trying to find an easier way to win than we've shown this year and that doesn't happen for a team."

The Blues lost Nichol, who was called for spearing Tomas Kopecky, and Colaiacovo on the same play. Hitchcock said the defenseman would be re-evaluated today.

"I would prefer that I would not comment on that at this time," Hitchcock said about Nichol's penalty. "We'll just let the process take care of itself.

"I've bought a lot of boats and trailers since I've come into the league, and I prefer not to go down that path again."