Coyotes fall to Blues despite Tanguay’s two assists
Apr 4, 2016, 9:03 PM
St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott, right, makes a glove save as Arizona Coyotes' Brad Richardson swats for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 4, 2016, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Billy Hurst)
(AP Photo/Billy Hurst)
ST. LOUIS — Vladimir Tarasenko’s 37th goal midway through the third period was the go-ahead score for the St. Louis Blues, who scored five straight goals in a 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night to tie for first place in the Western Conference.
The Blues and Stars each have 105 points, also tied for the Central Division lead, with two games to play. Dallas holds the tiebreaker with more regulation wins.
Kyle Brodziak scored twice, Troy Brouwer and Patrik Berglund also scored and goalie Brian Elliott won his 10th consecutive decision for St. Louis, which shook off the Coyotes’ two-goal first period. St. Louis is 11-0-1 in its last 12 games against Arizona, including 3-0 this season.
Antoine Vermette scored his 16th goal and Anthony Duclair got his 20th for the Coyotes.
Brouwer started the comeback with a power-play goal in the second and Brodziak’s short-handed goal tied it at 2 early in the third.
Tarasenko went nearly coast to coast before beating goalie Mike Smith unassisted with a quick shot from near the right faceoff dot at 10:42. The goal matched his career high set last season and gave him 17 points in his last 15 games.
Tarasenko assisted on a power-play goal by Berglund 2:18 later to put the Blues ahead by two and Brodziak made it a three-goal gap late. Berglund got his 10th goal with a one-timer.
Coach Ken Hitchcock had been worried before the game about the effects of coming down from altitude and playing the following night. The Blues won 5-1 at Colorado on Sunday night, but Arizona shut out Washington in its last game the day after the Capitals beat the Avalanche on the road.
Arizona is tied for the second-fewest road victories in the NHL, going 13-22-3 on the road.
Brodziak has seven goals, three of them short-handed.
Alex Tanguay assisted on the first two goals for the Coyotes, giving him five in five games.
The Blues ruled out captain David Backes and goalie Jake Allen for the rest of the regular season earlier in the day, both with lower-body injuries. Hitchcock said both would be re-evaluated on Monday before the playoffs.
Brouwer’s deflection on a power play got past Smith and cut the deficit to one in the second.
NOTES: Duclair leads Arizona with nine road goals. … Arizona rookies entered the game leading the NHL with 50 goals and 132 points. … Brouwer has 14 points in his last 13 games, six of them goals. … Tarasenko had three goals against Arizona.
