Should Scott Niedermayer’s goal with 0.9 seconds left in regulation Friday night counted? There has been much debate about the Anaheim goal that tied the score 2-2 in a game the Blues eventually won 3-2 in overtime.

On the play, the Ducks’ Corey Perry is seen on top of Blues goalie Manny Legace when Niedermayer’s goal slides past Legace. But on the replays, Jay McClement gives Perry a shove and causes him to fall into Legace.

Today, Blues coach Andy Murray said the play was ruled correctly as a goal.

“Jay McClement gives him a pretty good shot,” Murray said. “He should have played it different to be honest with you. I think it was a goal. I would have counted it as a goal. When I was screaming (to the refs), I wasn’t feeling that way. I was screaming that (Perry) bumped Manny. Then when I watched it, I thought he got a pretty good shot from Jay. It was a tough call, but I think we would have been screaming if (the Blues were in on the other end and) it wasn’t a goal. Jay gave him a shot, and (Perry) was in so tight when he hit, I don’t think he had a chance to get away.”

McClement’s take: “I don’t even know. I was just trying to hit somebody or knock somebody down . . . I don’t even know what happened. First of all, I think everybody said he was lying on Manny. I didn’t see the replay. It happened, but we bounced back and got the win in overtime.”

Meanwhile, Murray said that McClement is playing some of his best hockey right now. McClement, Yan Stastny and B.J. Crombeen held the high-powered Ryan Getzlaf line in check Friday.

“Jay is playing at a pretty good level right now,” Murray said. “The last couple of games he’s been a horse. Crombeen skates pretty well for a big guy and Yan Stastny is a smart player. They were good.”

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The reviews of David Backes’ first game at center were very favorable.

“(Murray) protected me very well,” Backes said. “Being the home team, he could put me out in situations where I could succeed. I took advantage of it. I think it was a good thing and we’ll see how long it will last.”

Backes was 6-1 on face-offs before losing his last two. The last one was a killer. It came with about 12 seconds left in regulation, and Anaheim’s Sam Pahlsson won it cleanly. The Ducks kept the play alive and of course scored with less than 1 second to play.

“If he wins the last one, with 12 seconds, it goes to the corner and we just surround it and it doesn’t come out of there,” Murray said. ”But he ended up at 67 percent.”

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Tonight’s game at Minnesota should be a good special-teams game. The Blues and the Wild are the only teams with both their PP and PK ranked in the top 5 in the NHL.

Blues

PP: 20-80 (25 percent) . . . 2nd

PK: 70-82 (85.4 percent) . . . 5th

Wild

PP: 16-72 (22.2 percent) . . . 3rd

PK: 63-68 (92.6 percent . . . 1st

The Blues were 2-for-5 on the power play Friday against Anaheim. That gave the club its 20th power-play goal of the season. The Blues didn’t score their 20th PP goal last year until the 41st game of the season. Both of the Blues’ PP goals Friday came from the 2nd unit: Backes, Brad Winchester, Steve Regier, Roman Polak and Jeff Woywitka.

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Defenseman Steve Wagner has been a healthy scratch the past two games, but he will return to the lineup tonight. Mike Weaver will be a healthy scratch.

“Wagner hasn’t played for a couple of games,” Murray said. “He’s a good skater against a fast team. I talked to Weaver this morning and told him it wasn’t anything that he had done wrong. It was just time for Wagner to play.”

On what he wants to see from Wagner: “Use his legs to make solutions. Be a better communicator. He’s so darn quiet on the ice that he’s got to be a better communicator.”

D pairings tonight:

Brewer-Polak

Woywitka-Jackman

Wagner-McKee

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Murray said that Jackman had a great game against Anaheim. He played 29:05 and was a plus-1.

“Before the game, I’m pointing at (Scott) Niedermayer and (Chris) Pronger and I’m saying, ‘Let’s get after their minute-men . . . they’re going to play 30 minutes tonight, let’s get after them,” Murray said. “I told ‘Jacks’ after the game, ‘Next time we play Anaheim, (Ducks coach Randy) Carlyle is going to be saying, ‘Let’s get after their minute-men, let’s get after Jackman.’ That’s good company.”

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Murray didn’t confirm it, but it appears that Chris Mason will be in goal tonight.

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Patrik Berglund (groin) did not make the trip to Minnesota. I will find out more about the extent of Berglund’s injury later today.

JR