Blues defeat Hitchcock's former team

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ken Hitchcock's surging St. Louis Blues added a special one to their recent collection of victories.

David Backes scored a power-play goal in the third period to lift St. Louis past the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Sunday night, giving Hitchcock the win in his first game against his former club.

Hitchcock, the winningest coach all-time for Columbus, guided the Blue Jackets to their only playoff berth in 2009 before being fired a season later.

The game wasn't as emotional for Hitchcock as it was playing against Dallas, which he coached to a Stanley Cup title in 1999, but it certainly had meaning.

"There's a lot of players on the other side I'm close with," he said. "I have a healthy respect for those players because I would say 10 of those guys went through the wall for me."

Another former member of the Columbus organization also helped St. Louis. Kris Russell, traded to the Blues earlier this month, scored with eight seconds left in the second period to tie it 1-1.

T.J. Oshie flicked a backhand pass from the left edge of the crease to a wide-open Backes for his ninth goal of the season at the 7:49 mark of the third period to break the tie. It was the first power-play goal in six games for St. Louis.

Brian Elliott made 23 saves for the Blues to move to 10-1-0 this season.