• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Coyotes ride Bryzgalov, power play to win over Blues

Feb 29, 2008 - 5:55 AM By Tom James PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) - Ilya Bryzgalov made 41 saves and the Phoenix Coyotes scored two power-play goals late in the first period to post a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

The Coyotes (33-27-5, 71 points), who have won in their last five visits here, converted both ends of a two-man advantage late in the opening period to take the lead en route to moving within one point of idle Colorado and Nashville for eighth in the Western Conference.

All-Star defenseman Ed Jovanovski blasted a slap shot from outside the right faceoff circle to the high far corner for his 11th of the season at 17:21.

Niko Kapanen then recorded his ninth goal just 44 seconds later when he deflected Keith Yandle's left-point drive through the pads of All-Star goaltender Manny Legace.

"I don't see him having that much trouble with any amount of traffic. It was a big break for us," Kapanen said. "How many times does a team get a power play like that and do nothing? That was great."

"It was huge in the end of the period," Bryzgalov said. "It turned the game the other way. You play in a different gear when you've got the lead."

Ryan Johnson scored his fourth goal of the season to put the Blues on top, 1-0, with 4:47 left in the first period. The Blues' center finished a 2-on-1 rush with Jay McClement with a flip over the right shoulder of Bryzgalov.

"It's nice to get one, and I've had a few lately, but we would really like to have a few more," Johnson said.

Phoenix outscored St. Louis, 9-4, in winning all four games between the clubs this season. The Coyotes have won nine of the past 10 overall between the teams.

"We've been a little bit lucky, a little bit fortunate," Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said of the club's success against the Blues. "Kapanen made a nice tip - we've been working on getting pucks to the net."

The struggling Blues are 0-4-1 in their last five games, during which they have put 155 shots on goal, including a season-high 42 Thursday, but have scored just four times. St. Louis (28-26-10, 66 points) remains six points behind the Avalanche and Predators.

"It doesn't mean anything to get shots on goal. You have to score," Blues coach Andy Murray said. "We have to score, and we have to win, now. We're running out of time."