Detroit blanks host Blues 5-0

ST. LOUIS -- The Detroit Red Wings overcame an early injury to star forward Marian Hossa, getting Chris Osgood's first shutout of the season in a 5-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.

Hossa, the Red Wings' leading scorer with 34 goals and 61 points in 62 games, was hospitalized for observation after slamming headfirst into the end boards early in the first period following a check by Roman Polak. He left the ice strapped to a gurney as a precaution.

Osgood stopped 22 shots for his 299th victory with the Central Division leaders, who have won three of four and are 3-0-1 against St. Louis this season.

Tomas Kopecky had a goal and two assists. Kopecky scored short-handed and Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwell and Valtteri Filppula had power-play goals for the Red Wings, who dominated three days after absorbing their worst loss of the season, an 8-0 skunking by the Predators.

Blues goalie Chris Mason had a strong two periods before faltering in a three-goal third period, ending a five-game streak in which he allowed one goal per game.

The Blues had been surging, entering with a season-best three-game winning streak that left them only three points out of a playoff spot and attracted a sellout crowd of 19,250 that included 100 standing-room tickets. The Blues have missed the playoffs the last three seasons and team president John Davidson has been noncommittal about the team's plans for today's trade deadline.

The Red Wings were short-handed for six minutes near the end of the first period, yet took the lead while holding the Blues to two shots. Kopecky scored his third goal in five games and fifth overall off the rebound of a shot by Pavel Datsyuk when he swept a backhander around a prone Mason at 14:54.