Blues finish with a 4-0 run, overtake Capitals

WASHINGTON -- Down 3-1 late in the second period, the Blues needed to do something extraordinary to extend their domination of the Washington Capitals.

Facing a goaltender who hadn't allowed more than three goals in a game since Dec. 1, the Blues used a three-goal flurry to beat Olaf Kolzig and the Capitals 5-3 Tuesday night.

Keith Tkachuk had two goals and an assist for the Blues, 7-0-1-0 against Washington since Dec. 29, 1997. Al MacInnis had a goal and two assists, and Scott Mellanby had a goal and his 400th career assist as St. Louis ended a three-game winless streak (0-2-1-0).

The Blues trailed 3-1 before scoring three goals on four shots over a span of two minutes, 14 seconds.

"We dug ourselves into a hole, so we had to play great," Mellanby said.

Tkachuk began the spree at 17:16 of the second period, deftly averting a check by Sergei Gonchar between the circles before converting a centering pass from Mellanby.

Pavol Demitra tied it 32 seconds later with a wrist shot that soared past Kolzig's right elbow, and MacInnis made it 4-3 with his 14th goal, on a slap shot from just inside the blue line with 30 seconds left in the period.

Just like that, the Blues had a lead they wouldn't lose.

"I don't know what it was. I wish I could tell you, but I have no idea," Tkachuk said.

When the period ended, Kolzig slammed his stick against the boards in anger as he headed for the locker room.

Kolzig had gone 19 straight games without allowing more than three goals, and this was only his second loss in regulation in 20 games since Dec. 3.

"It's just one of those things that happens sometimes," Mellanby said.

The Capitals took only four shots on goal in the final period, none of which got past St. Louis goalie Brent Johnson. Tkachuk made it 5-3 with an empty-net goal.

"I don't know, after that second period, momentum just carried us the rest of the way," Tkachuk said.

The defeat snapped Washington's four-game unbeaten streak (2-0-2-0).

"This is the kind of game that's going to bite you at the end of the season," Capitals' center Jeff Halpern said. "Good teams don't lose those kind of games. If we want to think of ourselves as a good team, things like that shouldn't happen."

Jaromir Jagr gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead at 3:24 of the second period, turning a back-and-forth passing session with Robert Lang into a power-play goal.

Charging down the right side, Jagr tapped a cross-ice pass to Lang, who passed it back to Jagr for an easy tap-in. It was Jagr's 27th goal of the season and eighth in his last nine games.

Jagr was about to pad the Capitals' lead when Bryce Salvador held him in front of the net. Dainius Zubrus promptly recorded Washington's seventh power-play goal in two games, making it 3-1 at 12:54.

The lead dissipated within five minutes.

"I'm not happy. I'm standing here thinking we had a 3-1 lead," Capitals coach Bruce Cassidy said. "The guys in the locker room are upset, and they should be."

Mellanby 18th goal put the Blues up 1-0 at 16:35 of the first period. With St. Louis enjoying a two-man advantage, Mellanby took a shot from the left side of the crease and stuffed the rebound past Kolzig.

Josh Green tied it for Washington with 22 seconds left in the period, scoring from the left circle off the rebound of a shot by Brendan Witt. It was the first goal of the season for Green, claimed by the Capitals off the waiver list in mid-January.

Notes: Capitals C Michael Nylander played in his 600th NHL game, and Washington RW Mike Grier played in No. 500. ... Tkachuk's empty-netter gave him a team-high 19 goals for the season. ... Capitals LW Steve Konowalchuk missed a third straight game with a groin injury.