This time, Blues' Kariya golden

STOCKHOLM - Paul Kariya knows all about playing games that count in Europe, including in the Olympics.

Kariya is still remembered by many hockey fans in Sweden. At the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, he missed the last penalty shot for Canada in a shootout that clinched Sweden's gold medal.

"I would love to get an opportunity to play for my country again," Kariya said. "Lillehammer in 1994 was probably one of the biggest highlights in my career even though we lost."

On Friday, his team won. Kariya scored 2 goals as the St. Louis Blues rallied to edge the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in their opening game of the NHL regular season.

St. Louis turned it around by scoring 3 straight goals within a span of 5:05 in the second period.

The comeback started when Kariya got the first of his 2 goals on the power play, beating goalie Chris Osgood with a shot from the point. The veteran forward scored again at 17:36 to win it, beating Osgood with a shot to the stick side after skating in alone.

"In the first half of the game, we weren't playing our game," Kariya said. "We started to get going in the second period, playing in their zone and getting the power play."

B.J. Crombeen had tied the score 3-3 when he knocked in a rebound.

The third period was scoreless.

The Blues' win spoiled the homecoming of seven Swedes on the Detroit team.

Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom, a six-time winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman who hails from a city near Stockholm, had a disappointing outing and finished with no points.

"My body feels good, but I just have to play better tomorrow," said the 39-year-old Lidstrom, Detroit's oldest player. "We didn't really generate a whole lot. It was fun to play at home before a sold-out crowd. But it would have been much more fun if we had won. We'll get another chance tomorrow."

The Blues and Red Wings face off again Saturday in Stockholm.