Blues score four in second, defeat Coyotes

ST. LOUIS --The St. Louis Blues used a four-goal second period to defeat the Arizona Coyotes 5-1 at Enterprise Center on Monday.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice, Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and two assists, and David Perron and Robert Thomas each had two assists for the Blues (39-20-10), who are 4-0-1 in their past five games and moved six points ahead of the Nashville Predators for third place in the Central Division. Ville Husso made 21 saves.
"We had good life," St. Louis coach Craig Berube said. "Being on that long road trip (three games in Western Canada), you worry about it a little bit coming home, but guys were good. They came out hard."
Nick Schmaltz scored, and Ivan Prosvetov made 24 saves in his first start since Jan. 14 for the Coyotes (22-43-5), who were coming off a 3-2 overtime win at the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
"They played a good game," Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said of the Blues. "They were big, heavy, strong. They hit, they skate. We worked. We tried to stay with it. ... I think the guys fought, but it's not just two games in two nights, it's seven games in 11 nights. The tank was pretty empty against a big team that skates like that. Give them a lot of credit and give credit to our guys to fight, to try."

Although St. Louis didn't score in the first period, it had 10 shots on goal, hit the post three times and missed the net on multiple chances.
"[Husso] made a couple big saves for us early, and I think that jump-started us all," Thomas said. "I think we came out with the right mindset. We were attacking early. Even though we didn't score (in the first period), I thought we had a ton of chances that could have easily gone in. I've definitely been liking our starts as of late."
The Blues were able to carry that period over into the second and pull away from the Coyotes, Tourigny said.
"We gave up 17 scoring chances against five in the first," Tourigny said. "It was 0-0, but that was just blowing smoke.
"There was a big-boy game tonight. They were big, fast, on us, hit, and we had no answer."

Ivan Barbashev gave the Blues a 1-0 lead at 2:17 of the second, scoring past a lunging Prosvetov after Calle Rosen's shot deflected to him off Vladislav Kolyachonok.
Tarasenko made it 2-0 at 3:34 on a one-timer from the left circle off a pass by Thomas from behind the net.
Brayden Schenn extended the lead 3-0 at 6:33, scoring with a one-timer from the left circle during a power play, and Buchnevich made it 4-0 at 14:39 when he a converted another one-timer off a 2-on-1 with Ryan O'Reilly while shorthanded.
"We came out in the second and got a couple goals and went from there," Berube said. "Pretty solid all-around."
Schmaltz made it 4-1 at 3:09 of the third period when he put in a rebound of Cam Dineen's slap shot from the left circle.
Tarasenko pushed it to 5-1 at 13:09, scoring with a one-timer from the slot off a pass from Thomas.
"I think as a team we're just playing really well," Thomas said. "Chances are coming from everywhere. Everyone's having good looks, everyone's chipping in offensively. I think it all comes from that."

NOTES:Schenn is the NHL-leading seventh Blues player with at least 20 goals this season, joining Tarasenko (25), Buchnevich (24), Perron (23) Jordan Kyrou (22), Barbashev (22) and Brandon Saad (20). … Thomas has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) during a six-game point streak. ... Buchnevich has nine points (five goals, four assists) in the past six games. ... Perron has six points (one goal, five assists) in the past five games. ... O'Reilly has five points (two goals, three assists) during a four-game point streak.