Blues stop Thrashers in shutout

ST. LOUIS -- Brent Johnson easily earned his fourth shutout, making only 11 saves as the St. Louis Blues beat the Atlanta Thrashers 3-0 Tuesday night.

Cory Stillman, Doug Weight and Tyson Nash got goals for the Blues, who lost 5-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. This time around they had stifling defense, holding the Thrashers to two shots in the first period and seven through two.

Entering the game, St. Louis had lost five of seven. The Thrashers, who lost 5-4 at Toronto on Monday, are 1-5-1 in their last seven games.

Johnson, making his first start in three games, didn't get much action in posting his first shutout since Dec. 22 at Florida and the eighth of his career. The Thrashers' best scoring chance came at about the three-minute mark of the second period, but Johnson stopped Shean Donovan who had a rebound shot in front.

Stillman got the only goal of the first period, scoring his 14th on a power play at 7:56. Stillman, alone in the slot, faked to Pasi Nurminen's glove side and then shot to the stick side.

Weight had a goal disallowed at 11:50 of the second because Keith Tkachuk checked Todd Reirden into Thrashers goalie Pasi Nurminen. But he scored on a breakaway from Tkachuk at 4:07 later with Johnson getting his third assist on the play.

Nash got a goal for the Blues' checking line at 3:27 of the third, scoring during a scramble in front of the net.