Blues At Senators Final Score: Brian Elliott Gets Win In 3-1 Game; David Perron Scores Twice

David Perron didn’t get his hat trick and Brian Elliott didn’t get a standing ovation like teammate Jaroslav Halak did in Montreal, but the Blues did get their first win in Ottawa since 2000. The Senators, meanwhile, continue slipping down the Eastern Conference standings with their 7th loss in a row. Whatever momentum they had to start the season has dwindled down to almost nothing; the Blues momentum on the road can hopefully carry them into New Jersey on Thursday. Elliott stopped 28 of 29 Ottawa shots, making tonight the tenth time this season that the Blues have been outshot and won. That might not be an issue against the Devils, but they’re still a lethal team that the Blues’re going to have to play tough.

The Blues are undefeated in regulation against the Eastern Conference, with an impressive 9-0-2 record. With tonight’s win they come within three of the Red Wings for the division lead yet again in the see-saw race that the Central has become.

Blues At Senators Second Period Score: David Perron Adds Second Goal Of Night, Blues Lead 3-1

The second period did not get off to the start that the Blues wanted it to. B.J. Crombeen closed out the first period with a tripping call at 19:18. The Senators took advantage just 64 seconds in, with captain Daniel Alfredsson knocking one past Brian Elliott:

The shot was originally a Sergei Gonchar one, but Alfredsson was at the right place at the right time. Net presence always helps you with a rebound or two, which is something the Blues need to work on.

What David Perron doesn’t need to work on is his backhand. Frenchie didn’t get a chance to play pond hockey with Daren Pang and his family yesterday, so he decided to go for it tonight, flicking one past Alex Auld with a minimum of effort:

That was goal number six for Perron. The Blues are undefeated in regulation when scoring three or more goals, so hold on to your hats. This might be the first win in a very long time in Ottawa.

Blues At Senators First Period Score: Craig Anderson Pulled After Spotting 2-0 Lead

Tonight has been a happy homecoming so far for Brian Elliott. It has not been a happy home game for Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson — or should I say it wasn’t a good game for Anderson. After giving up two goals on just four shots, Sens coach John MacLean pulled him for back-up goaltender Alex Auld. This isn’t an upgrade for the Sens, considering Auld is 1-3-0 with a huge 3.57 GAA and a not so hot .879 save percentage. The goalie switch was to shock some life into the slumping Senators, who have lost six in a row.

The first goal was this from Chris Porter, who tipped a booming shot by Roman Polak over Anderson’s glove and into the net. It was Porter’s fourth goal of the year:

Before Anderson was pulled to get the team going, heavyweight Zenon Konopka decided to throw down with B.J. Crombeen. I’m not sure how much it woke them up, but it featured a fairly acrobatic flip from Crombeen over Konopka’s arm and onto the ice:

It didn’t do the Sens any good. A little over a minute later, and David Perron scores his fifth of the year on Anderson’s last shot faced of the evening:

The Blues scored twice on just eight shots, and the Sens have put nothing on the board despite getting nine shots on net.

Blues At Senators: Brian Elliott Starts Tonight In Ottawa

Despite his shaky period in the All-Star Game, some Sens fans are kicking themselves about letting Brian Elliott go. Right now the slumping Senators could use a goaltender with Elliott's numbers back between the pipes.