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Flawless Bryzgalov helps Coyotes top Blues

Feb 25, 2008 - 5:48 AM By Jonathan Dalton PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) - Ilya Bryzgalov finally shook off his blues against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night.

Bryzgalov made 35 saves for his fourth career shutout and defenseman Zbynek Michalek scored his third goal of the season as the Phoenix Coyotes skated to a 2-0 victory over the Blues.

"You have to be ready, not as soon as you stop the first puck but you have to be ready as soon as the puck is dropped," Bryzgalov said. "When you get a lead, it gives you a little advantage. Games like this where there is very little goal scoring, every goal may be the last goal."

Bryzgalov made certain of that, stopping 18 shots in the first period, nine in the second and eight in the third for his second shutout of the season.

Joel Perrault also scored for the Coyotes (32-26-5, 69 points), whose fourth win in six games helped them leapfrog Colorado (31-26-6, 68 points) for ninth place in the Western Conference standings. Phoenix trails idle Nashville (32-24-8, 72 points) for the eighth and final postseason berth.

The Coyotes have won 31 games, one more than a season ago, and have won eight of their last nine against the Blues.

"It's a different story this year," Perrault said. "We're right there, right in the race."

St. Louis (28-24-10), which is 0-2-1 in its last three games - remained five points behind the Predators.

"We scored two goals in three games," All-Star goaltender Manny Legace said of his team's troubles. "We're lucky to get one point (in Friday's overtime loss)."

Bryzgalov had entered the game 0-2-0 with a 6.91 goals-against average vs. St. Louis, but the Russian netminder was in complete control on Sunday.

Phoenix weathered a first period in which St. Louis spent six minutes on the power play and took 18 shots against Bryzgalov. By comparison, Phoenix put five shots on Legace.

"It was one of the best games I've seen him play," Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said. "One thing we've been fortunate with this year has been our goaltending."

Michalek opened the scoring at 4:27 of the second period when he called for a pass from Radim Vrbata between the circles and blasted a shot past a screened Legace.

The goal was Michalek's first since January 24.

"(Bryzgalov) held us in the game in the first period and that was huge for us," Michalek said.

The Coyotes nearly extended the lead two minutes later on a wraparound attempt by Vrbata, but Legace stopped the puck on the line with his stick.

Perrault finally gave Bryzgalov some breathing room with 7:57 left in the game when he caught a rebound of defenseman Keith Ballard's slap shot from the left circle in the slot and slapped it past Legace for a 2-0 advantage.

Legace finished with 18 saves for the Blues.

"I don't know what it is," said Brad Boyes, the Blues' leading goal scorer. "We have to bear down more, get more chances and not miss the net."