Blues continue late climb, win 5-1

ST. LOUIS -- Keith Tkachuk had two goals and an assist and played a pivotal role in a dominating three-goal first period as the St. Louis Blues beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1 Friday night to gain some breathing room in a tight playoff race.

Pavol Demitra scored twice for the Blues, who outshot the Blackhawks 20-5 in the first 20 minutes. St. Louis has 90 points and vaulted from seventh to fifth in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Kings and the Coyotes and only one point behind Chicago. The Blues have five games to go, all but one at home, where they're 24-11-1-1.

St. Louis outshot Chicago 40-21 overall and won for the fourth time in five games without two of its top three defensemen. Captain Chris Pronger served the first game of a two-game suspension for cross-checking the Stars' Brenden Morrow in a 2-1 overtime victory on Wednesday. The Blues also are without Bryce Salvador, who sustained a concussion March 28 against Buffalo and is out indefinitely.

Steve Thomas scored his ninth goal for the Blackhawks, who have lost two straight after a four-game winning streak. Chicago was held without a shot during a double-minor high-sticking penalty on Al MacInnis midway through the first period, and got two shots during another four-minute MacInnis high-sticking call in the third.

Tkachuk, who has 701 career points, had three shots in the first period and started the scoring with his 35th goal at 3:49. A quick feint to the outside helped Tkachuk beat Steve Passmore inside the near post on the Blues' first shot of the game.

He then scored on a long breakaway at 18:30 of the second, starting from the opposite blue line and fending off Jon Klemm.

Demitra's 32nd came at 17:15 for a 3-0 lead, and he also made it 4-0 with a redirection on a power play at 29 seconds of the second.

Mike Eastwood added his seventh goal, and second in two games, for St. Louis. Eastwood also helped thwart Tony Amonte on a second-period breakaway, hooking him just enough to alter his shot.