Limping Blues blanked by NJ

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.-- The New Jersey Devils were not overconfident against the illness-ravaged Blues.

Jim McKenzie and Turner Stevenson got the goals and Martin Brodeur made 28 saves for his third shutout as the Devils beat the Blues 2-0 Tuesday night.

The Blues played two men short and dressed only 18. The team was hit with widespread food poisoning which claimed Dallas Drake and Scott Mellanby. Many of those in uniform still felt the effects.

"I felt pretty bad last night," St. Louis defenseman Barret Jackman said. "I felt if I could get out of bed this morning, I'd get on the ice and play. We had too many guys out. I felt I had to get into the lineup and help as best I can."

The Devils, aware of the Blues weakened condition, reminded themselves that St. Louis still posed a threat.

"They are tough to beat and they're playing well," said Brodeur, who posted his 58th career shutout. "We needed to jump on that. It's not every day you get to play a top team that is missing half their players."

Brodeur preserved the shutout with a great glove save on Jackman with just under nine minutes remaining. He also survived a hard slam when Blues forward Tyson Nash was checked into him by Devils defenseman Colin White.

McKenzie scored the only goal of the first period at 13:14. Brian Gionta set the score in motion when he intercepted the puck just inside the St. Louis blue line. Gionta carried wide down right wing deep into the Blues zone. He fed a centering pass back to the slot where McKenzie tipped it in for his first goal of the season.

"The coaches did a good job of getting us ready and, in some ways, scaring us," McKenzie said. "When you look at a team that doesn't dress a full lineup, you sometimes relax."

New Jersey did not let down as Stevenson made it 2-0 at 10:52 of the second. Joe Nieuwendyk dug the puck out of the corner and fed it to the slot where Sergei Brylin and Stevenson had cracks at it. Stevenson got the score as he put in his own rebound.

The Blues tried to rally. They mustered the occasional flurry but could never sustain the attack.

"It seems like if there is anything that can happen, it's happening to our team," Blues defenseman Al MacInnis said. "Still, we always seem to find a way to give ourselves a chance to win. Unfortunately, we played a Devils team that is pretty tight defensively. They got that two-goal cushion and shut things down pretty well."

Noteworthy

St. Louis recalled D Matt Walker from Worcester of the AHL and he made his NHL debut.

LW Keith Tkachuk and G Brent Johnson returned to the Blues lineup. Tkachuk missed two games while his infant daughter underwent surgery. Johnson, dressing for the first time this season after recovering from an ankle sprain, backed up Fred Brathwaite.

Devils D Brian Rafalski, who left Saturday night's game a rib injury, was scratched.