This Day in St. Louis Sports History: April 7
April 7, 2013: St. Louis Blues defeat Detroit Red Wings 1-0 to boost playoff hopes
Two years ago today, the St. Louis Blues picked up a very important Sunday morning win over the Detroit Red Wings to boost their playoff push, which ended up coming to fruition as the team advanced to the postseason before losing in the first round to the Los Angeles Kings.
Against the Red Wings, goalie Brian Elliott was the star. Elliott, who had been an All-Star in 2012, had struggled mightily earlier in the lockout-shortened season and at one point had been sent to the AHL on a conditioning assignment to try to recover his form. But after an injury to starter Jaroslav Halak gave Elliott another opportunity, he took full advantage. Against Detroit, Elliott collected his third straight win following the conditioning assignment, as he stopped all 28 of the shots that he faced and picked up his first shutout of the season.
More from St. Louis Blues
- An early projection of the St. Louis Blues’ opening-night roster
- St. Louis Blues sign Klim Kostin to three-year, entry-level contract
- St. Louis Blues: Nail Yakupov signs with Colorado Avalanche
- St. Louis Blues: An homage to Chris Butler
- St. Louis Blues agree to one-year contract with Oskar Sundqvist
The Blues were limited offensively, registering 25 shots on goal compared to Detroit’s 28, but they converted when it mattered. Chris Porter collected a second period goal, assisted by Barret Jackman and Patrik Berglund, which ended up being the only goal of the entire game.
At the time, the Blues were on a three-game winning streak and had begun to pick up some momentum, but they were still fighting hard to get back into the race following some serious struggles in February and March. The win over Detroit moved the eighth-place Blues up to seventh in the Western Conference. They would ultimately finish fourth in the conference and second in the Central Division.