Blues handle Penguins, end 11-game losing skid

~ St. Louis picked up its first win since Nov. 24 and just its eighth win this season.

PITTSBURGH -- Doug Weight and Dan Hinote each had a goal and an assist and the St. Louis Blues stopped an 11-game losing streak that was threatening a franchise record, beating the uninspired Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 Tuesday night.

The Blues began the game with an NHL-low seven victories and a losing streak that was two short of last season's franchise-worst 13 in a row, only to dominate the Penguins for the second season in a row.

The Penguins' dismal 3-0 loss in St. Louis in mid-December a year ago led to former coach Eddie Olczyk's firing two days later and Michel Therrien's hiring.

St. Louis scored in the opening minute for the second time in three games and the sixth time this season when Weight beat goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from in front with 44 seconds gone. Only this time, the Blues made a 1-0 lead hold up -- something they couldn't do in their previous four games.

The Blues made it 2-0 on Hinote's wraparound goal less than 6 minutes in.

Fleury was pulled early in the second after Ryan Johnson scored short-handed, outworking Sidney Crosby for the puck near the blue line and lifting a shot under the crossbar. Fleury allowed three goals on 12 shots.

The Penguins had won four of five.

Blues goalie Manny Legace also was lifted, with flulike symptoms, after stopping all nine shots he saw in the first period. Jason Bacashihua replaced him to start the second period and allowed one goal in 17 shots, rookie Evgeni Malkin's 17th of the season early in the third period on a power play.

Penguins star Sidney Crosby ran his scoring streak to nine games (six goals, 15 assists) by setting up Malkin's goal.

St. Louis, which had been winless since beating Detroit 3-2 on Nov. 24, answered that goal about 90 seconds later when Bill Guerin scored his 13th.

The Blues had lost their first four games for new coach Andy Murray, including shootout and overtime losses over the weekend.

"We've been so close, it was disappointing the last couple of games," Blues defenseman Barret Jackman said. "We knew Pittsburgh was a great offensive team and if we played a good defensive team game, we had a chance to win it."