Blues open home slate with win

ST. LOUIS -- The Blues revived a struggling power play by scoring three times with the man advantage in a 4-1 victory over the Washington Capitals in their home opener Saturday night.

Keith Tkachuk and Pavol Demitra each had a goal and an assist and Doug Weight had three assists for the Blues. St. Louis had been 3-for-17 on the power play in its first three games, but scored on three of its first five opportunities against the Capitals and was 3-for-8 overall.

Blues goalie Chris Osgood stopped nine of 10 shots in two periods before leaving with a sore hip flexor. Brent Johnson finished in goal for St. Louis.

The Blues doubled their goal total from the first three games. St. Louis is 9-1-1 in its last 11 games against the Capitals and took the only meeting between the teams this season, outshooting the losers 27-14.

Dainius Zubrus scored his first goal of the season for Washington, 0-4-1 since winning the opener over the New York Islanders. The Capitals lost for the second straight night on the road after falling 4-2 at Dallas on Friday night.

Demitra got his first goal off his own rebound at 12:25 of the first, beating Olaf Kolzig. Pronger got his first on a five-on-three power play, slapping a one-timer in from the right circle at 14:36.

Peter Cajanek got his second of the season at even strength on the end of a rush with Demitra to make it 3-0 at 3:57 of the second. Tkachuk, planted in front of the net, made it 4-0 at 6:22 of the second on his fourth goal -- he has half of the team's goals.

Osgood faced only five shots in each of the first two periods.

MacInnis could miss rest of season after eye injury

Blues defenseman Al MacInnis has a torn retina in his left eye for the second time in three years, an injury that could sideline him for the rest of the season, the team announced.

The 40-year-old team captain had surgery on his left eye Friday after complaining of vision problems. During the three-hour procedure, the retina was reattached and the lens was removed.

He also underwent laser surgery on his right eye, which was found to have a slightly torn retina.

-- From wire reports