The (16-8-4) Blues beat the Coyotes 4-1 on Tuesday to end their three game losing streak. The Coyotes ended their five game road trip–without winning a game–in St. Louis.
The first period was played like their last three games; slow, lazy, and nonchalantly. If that game was against a decent team—say the Hawks—the score would have been 3-0 going into the second period.
About 12 minutes into the game, Brad Richardson threw a slap shot toward Jake Allen. Steve Downie escaped Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and pumped the rebound into the back of the net. Downie’s second goal of the season was the lone goal of the first period.
The Blues were lucky to get out of the first period with a 1-0 deficit. The Coyotes outshot the Blues 9-to-3.
In the second period, however, the Blues started to put the lackluster play behind them.
Magnus Paajarvi (1st line) entered the offensive zone. He lured the Coyotes’ defender to the side and slung the puck to the middle. Vladimir Tarasenko picked it up all alone. His shot beat Mike Smith to tie the game, 1-1. It was his 16th goal of the season.
Tarasenko hooked Mikkel Boedker for his second penalty of the game.
On the penalty kill, Kevin Shattenkirk skated the puck into the Coyotes’ zone with Alexander Steen. He sauced it over a Coyote’s stick to Steen, who one-timed it under Smith’s pad with 0:09 seconds left in the period.
The Blues had two more shots than the Coyotes in the second—Steen with the last shot. His 10th goal gave the Blues confidence and momentum, as well as a 2-1 lead.
The Blues were wide-awake in the third period. Shattenkirk tallied his second point of the game with a back-door jammer from Jori Lehtera. The 3-1 insurance goal was his fourth of the season. He is now tied for third in points (14) with David Backes.
Backes grabbed his seventh of the season with an empty netter to finish off the (13-14-1) Coyotes, 4-1.
Tuesday’s game was the first time the Blues scored more than four goals in their last 14 games. They were outshot 22-to-23, but Allen was sharp.
The Blues continue their homestead on Thursday as they take on the (11-11-6) Flyers, 7:00 p.m.
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Photo: SN
