Blues end five-game streak by Coyotes

PHOENIX -- Martin Rucinsky scored a short-handed goal early in third period as the Blues snapped Phoenix's five-game unbeaten streak at home with a 4-1 victory over the Coyotes on Tuesday night.

Ladislav Nagy of Phoenix lost the puck to Steve Dubinsky in the neutral zone, and Dubinsky passed ahead to Rucinsky, who lifted a wrist shot over rookie Zac Bierk's left shoulder at 4:48 of the final period.

That led to empty-net, short-handed goals by Al MacInnis and Alexander Khavanov in the final 53 seconds.

Tyson Nash also scored for the Blues, and Brent Johnson made 25 saves.

Jeff Taffe, an AHL All-Star called up Saturday because of Phoenix's injury problems, scored in his sixth NHL game.

Both goalies took some punishment.

Johnson was prone on the ice with about six minutes left after a Phoenix stick grazed his mask while he was stopping Paul Mara's attempts to jam rebounds past him.

But he came back to stop three shots during two Coyotes power plays in the final 4:22 -- an effort that earned him his third win in seven games since he was the NHL player of the week the last week in December.

Earlier in the period, Bierk spent several minutes on the ice after Keith Tkachuk slid into the net low and Dubinsky jumped and landed with both skates on Bierk's calves.

But Bierk finished the game with 20 saves for the Coyotes, who slid to 0-3-1-1 since a season-high four-game winning streak ended. They were 4-0-1 in five previous home games.

The Blues got the only goal of the first period on Nash's wrist shot from the circle 7:25 in.

Taffe, who had his first assist the previous game, tied it with a power-play goal with 8:16 left in the second. Daniel Briere, skating down the middle, shoved the puck to his left, and Taffe slapped a rising shot past Johnson, who moved into the slot to meet them.

Notes: An MRI exam revealed that Phoenix RW Tony Amonte's ribs are bruised, not broken. Amonte, whose 435-consecutive-game streak ended over the weekend, missed his second straight game, but is expected to play Saturday. RW Paul Ranheim (back) and D Deron Quint (groin) are also expected to return then. ... Khavanov, who assisted on Nash's goal, played in his 200th game. ... Coyotes LW Brad May saw his first action of the season after missing 44 games with a torn muscle in his left shoulder. ... RW Scott Mellanby, tied for second on the Blues with 15 goals, bruised his neck Sunday at Anaheim but still played in this game.