PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma wants his high-powered team to get used to playing tight-checking playoff hockey before the post-season begins next month. St. Louis doesnt need the lure of the playoffs as an excuse to get stingy. The space-eating Blues have been doing it all year, and it showed in a taut 1-0 road win on Sunday. Frustrating the NHLs best power play during a pivotal two-man disadvantage at the start of the second period, the Blues continued their mastery of the Eastern Conference by beating the Penguins the way theyve beaten so many teams this season. The room to manoeuvr that Pittsburgh stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin usually enjoy disappeared as St. Louis clogged passing lanes and dictated play defensively. David Backes deflected a slap shot by Alexander Steen past Marc-Andre Fleury midway through the third period for the games only goal and Brian Elliott stopped 33 shots to pick up his fourth shutout of the season as the Blues moved three points clear of Chicago in the race for the best record in the Western Conference. "When youre in a tight game like that against a good team, the guys kind of rose up to the challenge and I tried to make a couple saves and get the rebounds out of the zone and they did the rest," Elliott said. Fleury made 26 saves for the Penguins but watched Backes deflection carom off his glove and into the net just after a penalty against Malkin expired. "I just saw the guy raise his stick for the shot," Fleury said. "There were a bunch of people in front. I tried to cover some net but I didnt see it go in. St. Louis bounced back from a one-sided loss at Philadelphia on Saturday to improve the leagues best road record to 23-11-3. Pittsburghs top-ranked power play went 0-for-5 a day after scoring three times in a win over Tampa Bay. When Elliott wasnt getting a pad on the puck, his teammates were. The Blues blocked 25 shots, with the Penguins frustration growing at every turn as the Blues improved to 20-5-2 against the Eastern Conference, the best interconference record in the league. Pittsburgh had a 5-on-3 power play at the beginning of the second period for more than 90 seconds without being able to sneak something by Elliott. Most of the time the Penguins struggled generating a shot as the Blues effectively disrupted Pittsburghs rhythm. "We just kind of cleared lanes and I was able to see the ones they took," Elliott said. "Whenever guys are moving big guys out of the way, it just helps and you saw guys get in front of shots, block them and clear them down." Malkin was called for high-sticking 9:17 into the third and he was barely out of the box and back on the ice when Backes gave St. Louis the lead. The puck cycled to the point and Alexander Steen fired a slap shot that Backes found a way to nick as it sailed by. His 24th goal of the year proved more than enough. Elliott wobbled several times — including at least two saves where it appeared the puck was creeping to the goal line when the whistle blew — but didnt collapse. When the clock expired after one last clear up the zone, the game ended with the unusual sight of Malkin trying to mix it up with Alex Pietrangelo. Bylsma said coming into an important weekend he wanted his team to get used to playing tightly contested, low-scoring games. Pittsburgh survived one on Saturday, rallying for a 4-3 overtime win against the streaking Lightning that featured 40 minutes of clamp-down hockey and 22 minutes of frantic play. The Blues, who have positioned themselves into contenders in the West by sealing off the net, would not be lulled into the kind of end-to-end stretches that allow the Penguins to run free. "We still want to do a better job in these games and win them," Crosby said. "We have done a pretty good job of being patient when weve been in these kinds of games." At times, Bylsma wonders if his club was too patient, particularly in the first period. "The first 20 minutes we backed them off with speed," he said. "We had some opportunities and needed to have more of a drive and shoot mentality." NOTES: The Penguins played with seven defencemen instead of six, a move Bylsma said was needed in a game where he knew open ice would be at a premium. ... St. Louis plays in Toronto on Tuesday while the Penguins host Phoenix on Tuesday. Cheap Omar Vizquel Jersey . Brad Malone had the other goal for the Monsters (1-1-0), while Elliott chipped in an assist for a three-point night and the games first star. Bryan Lerg also had two assists. Corban Knight and Max Reinhart scored for the Heat (1-1-0), who opened their season Friday with a 5-2 win over the Monsters in Cleveland. Cheap Kenny Lofton Jersey .com) - Joe Pavelski scored twice to lead the San Jose Sharks in a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers to split a home-and-home set. http://www.cheapindiansjerseys.com/ . In the days leading up to the draft, TSN.ca and TSN Radio basketball analyst Duane Watson looks at some of the names that will be headlining the event. Tonight, Michigans Nik Stauskas of Mississauga, Ontario. Cheap Indians Jerseys China .5 million, two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, a deal that covers his final two arbitration seasons. Cheap Manny Ramirez Jersey . -- Max Domi scored twice and set up two more as the London Knights toppled the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 6-4 on Sunday in Ontario Hockey League action.Every night of the Stanley Cup playoffs, TSN hockey analyst and former NHL goaltender Jamie McLennan breaks down each goalies performance. Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Tuukka Rask, Boston (4) - Outstanding in first period, gave Boston chance to settle in, big saves on Datsyuk and Tatar in second period to keep it close at 2-1. Robbed Abdelkader in OT, cant stress enough how poised he is in the net, makes it look easy, and rarely out of position. Jonas Gustavsson, Detroit (4) - Surprise start, responded well, especially not busy early but showed great poise, no chance on first goal as it was tipped in front. Not overly challenged but got better and more confident as the game went on, Big saves on Soderberg and Eriksson in OT, no chance on the game winner as it was deflected twice. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles (4) - Locked in early on, with big saves on Burns and Pavelski, explosive saves on Marleau and Vlasic in the third to preserve the lead. He better managed his crease, not as erratic and out of control as we have seen last few games. Antti Niemi, San Jose (2) - Big saves onn King and Richards early in game, second goal was stoppable based on a tough angle shot that he is unable to corral, had rebound issues all night long that cost him, not as sharp as he has been in past games.dddddddddddd Semyon Varlamov, Colorado (4) - Putting a show on again, the only reason the Avs were in the game after the first period. His crease work is so fast and explosive, very tough to beat him low as well as in tight. Parise, Koivu, McCormick, Spurgeon, Brodziak, Granlund, Moulson (three times) and Pominville for starters had great chances, not much chance on both goals on a one-timer from slot and bad bounce off the back board. He is the only reason this series has been close. Darcy Kuemper, Minnesota (4) - Tough mentally to watch the goalie at the other end standing on his head and face all the shots. He was not busy whatsoever, the goal looked to hit his own man in front and go five-hole, but showed poise when needed to get the win and saved his best work for the last few minutes with big saves on Benoit and OReilly. Had a few puck handling issues that almost cost him, but kept it on the rails, solid again. 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