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Perron, McClement help Blues edge Coyotes

Feb 25, 2009 - 5:59 AM ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- David Perron and Jay McClement both scored in the second period to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday.

Chris Mason made 24 saves and the Blues killed off three penalties en route to their third win in the last five games.

"We're moving in the right direction," McClement said. "It's a good sign that we kind of found a way to win, because we haven't done so nearly enough."

After captain Shane Doan's 23rd goal of the season put the Coyotes on top in the first period, Perron and McClement found the net within two minutes of each other late in the second period before Mason took over in the third.

Perron's goal was one Ilya Bryzgalov would like to have back.

After accepting a feed from Jeff Woywitka at center ice, Perron dumped the puck toward the Coyotes' net. Bryzgalov, who finished with 22 saves, was kneeling down in the crease when the puck bounced over his right pad and skidded inside the left post to knot the game at 1-1.

"That's the luckiest goal I've ever had," Perron said. "We'll take it right now. It took so long to happen I thought someone else scored, I had no idea what happened at all. All I know is that the game seemed different after that."

"I moved over to knock down the puck and then didn't go with it," Bryzgalov said. "My bad."

Mason, who watched as the Blues peppered Bryzgalov with 15 shots in the second, talked about the lucky break.

"You see the puck land and it's so unpredictable how it bounces," Mason said. "As a goaltender, you feel for him. But on the other hand, it was a great break for us."

David Backes took a four minute double minor penalty 83 seconds later, but St. Louis took advantage when McClement received a pass from T.J. Oshie and led a rush up the right side.

McClement paused at the right faceoff circle and wristed a shot past Bryzgalov on the glove side.

"I think any one can get in on a play like that with the right players," McClement said. "I was a little bit relaxed. There wasn't any back pressure coming because of the way the play developed."

The Coyotes entered the game looking to tie a season high with their third straight win, but instead fell to 3-10-0 since the All-Star break.

"I thought we did a lot of really good, positive things," Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said. "But we need to capitalize on the power play. We can't accept them getting a shorthanded goal when your power play doesn't get anything."

Phoenix, which was not penalized at all in this game, is now just two points out of last place in the Western Conference.