Marty The Blue: An unfamiliar sight as Martin Brodeur is congratulated by his new Blues teammates following his win in relief for number 689.
AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

Martin Brodeur picked up his first win as a Blue in relief. With his new team trailing the Islanders 3-0 after one period, Brodeur relieved Jake Allen (3 GA on 12 shots). St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock’s move paid off as his team rallied for a 6-4 comeback win over the Islanders. Two nights after losing in his Blues debut, Brodeur made 14 saves to win his NHL record 689th.

“Not what I expected, that’s for sure,” Brodeur told the media afterwards. His first 688 victories came as a Devil where he won three Stanley Cups and four Vezinas. After losing his first start allowing four goals on 24 shots in a 5-4 loss to the Predators, he didn’t have to do much turning aside 14 of 15 shots. The one goal he allowed was to John Tavares on a power play off a point blank chance which he almost stopped.

Going for a 14th win in their last 16, it started very well for the Islanders who chased Allen after one on goals from Frans Nielsen (PPG), Ryan Strome (6th) and Michael Grabner (1st). On a day they honored 1980 Stanley Cup hero Bob Nystrom, they couldn’t maintain their momentum. The Isles were without three of their top four defensemen. Johnny Boychuk, Travis Hamonic and Lubomir Visnovsky are all on IR. They recalled Griffin Reinhart and dressed Brian Strait and Matt Donovan again.

A three-goal lead has often been referred to as dreaded because sometimes the leading team falls asleep. That’s exactly what happened during the second. The goalie change sparked the Blues. They responded by getting the next three goals. The first two came less than two minutes apart from Paul Stastny (PPG) and Patrik Berglund. A Calvin de Haan holding minor led directly to Kevin Shattenkirk firing his 3rd through a David Backes screen past Jaroslav Halak. Facing his former team, he struggled allowing six goals on 40 shots to have his 11-game win streak snapped.

The officiating was spotty throughout. That included a soft trip on Stastny late in the second that allowed Tavares to put the Isles back in front. Kyle Okposo took advantage of a bad St. Louis change. Taking a cross ice pass from Nielsen, he passed for Tavares in front. With Brodeur down, the Islander captain got just enough of the puck to nudge it by him allowing his team to take a one-goal lead to the locker room.

However, the Blues responded with a big third outscoring the Isles 3-0 and outshot them 14-7.  Aided by a weak hooking call on Strome, T.J. Oshie took a Shattenkirk pass and beat Halak from the left point. With the game still tied, they took advantage of a defensive breakdown which allowed Stastny to get his second of the game putting the Blues ahead for good. Vladimir Tarasenko erased any doubt when he finished off a great passing play for his 17th from Jori Lehtera and Jaden Schwartz.

Notes: The Isles thought they scored earlier in the period with the game tied 4-4. Tavares seemed to think so. But a video review confirmed that the puck never crossed the goal line. It was all Blues after that. … St. Louis defenseman Carl Gunnarson left the game in the second after taking a tough Anders Lee hit against the glass. From my vantage point, it looked okay. I felt it was more shoulder than elbow. Neither ref Tim Peel or Kelly Sutherland called anything. … Blues F Alex Steen was a scratch following warm ups.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Martin Brodeur, Blues (14 saves in relief for career win 689)

2nd Star-Kevin Shattenkirk, Blues (PPG, 2 assists, 8 SOG, 6 blocks in 35 shifts-28:01)

1st Star-Paul Stastny, Blues (2 goals incl. GWG, 3 SOG in 13:41)