(AP) - Chris Kunitz scored the deciding goal on a backhander in the fourth round of a shootout and the Pittsburgh Penguins took a seven game winning streak into the All-Star break with a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night. Patrik Berglund ended a seven game point drought with a pair of goals and tied it on a penalty shot early in the third period for the Blues, who erased a two-goal, second-period deficit. They're an NHL-best 21-3-4 at home and 9-0-2 against the Eastern Conference, recovering for a point one night after missing a chance to grab the overall NHL points lead in a loss at Detroit. NHL scoring leader Evgeni Malkin got the other shootout goal for the Penguins after getting shut down by the Blues' top line headed by David Backes. Malkin had totaled nine goals and 13 points in a six-game goal streak.
(AP) - Pekka Rinne made 24 saves for his ninth straight win and the surging Nashville Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 Tuesday night in the teams' final game before the All-Star break. The Predators are now 12-2 in their last 14 and have beaten the Blackhawks twice in the last four days. Rinne has played a major role in the run, going 12-1-0 since Dec. 28. Craig Smith and Mike Fisher had first-period goals for the Predators and Colin Wilson added an empty netter with 12.8 seconds left. Dave Bolland had Chicago's goal on a power play in the final period.
(From Peoria Rivermen) - The Peoria Rivermen put on a show in front of 7,082 fans, most of them local students, Tuesday morning in a 6-3 win over the Milwaukee Admirals at Carver Arena. The game began just after 10 a.m. as the Rivermen held their Faceoff Field Trip, for the second year in a row, and drew nearly 2,000 fans more than last season. Adam Cracknell (2g), Danny Syvret (1g,1a), and T.J. Hensick (1g,1a) each found the score sheet twice to help Peoria to 21-19-3 record and put them within one point of Milwaukee (22-16-2) and Chicago (21-16-4) for second in the Midwest Division and sixth in the Western Conference. The Rivermen welcome the Grand Rapids Griffins to Carver Arena for the first time this year and the first of a two game set Friday night.
