Demitra scores twice to lift Blues

ST. LOUIS -- Pavol Demitra had two goals and an assist and Scott Mellanby scored the go-ahead goal when the puck popped up in the air and dropped over Patrick Roy's outstretched glove, as the Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 Thursday night.

New Avalanche coach Tony Granato lost for the first time in four games. Colorado, which got a goal and an assist from Milan Hejduk, had outscored the opposition 11-6 Granato's first three games -- victories over the Oilers, Wild and Canucks.

Colorado was without stars Peter Forsberg, who had the flu and didn't make the trip, and Joe Sakic, who missed his sixth straight game with a sprained right ankle.

Demitra's second-period assist was his 400th career point and Mellanby also had an assist as the Blues beat the Avalanche for the first time in six games at the Savvis Center. Neither team had many scoring chances, with the Avalanche holding an 20-15 edge in shots.

Mellanby, who had 15 goals last season, got his 13th at 12:17 of the second period to put the Blues ahead 2-1. His rebound shot appeared to hit the stick of a defenseman in front of the net and the puck popped straight in the air and landed near the goal line before trickling across.

Demitra got his 12th on a 2-on-1 break for a 3-1 lead at 12:05 of the third, beating Roy with a high backhand shot. Keith Tkachuk set up the play when he pushed the puck to Demitra out of a tight pack of players near center ice.

Alex Tanguay cut the deficit to a goal with 26.9 seconds to play, just after a holding call to Dallas Drake had expired.

Hejduk has five goals and six assists during a nine-game scoring streak, and he got his 15th during a power play for the game's first goal at 13:39 of the first period. Hejduk beat Brent Johnson with a shot to the far post from the left circle.

Demitra tied it at 4:11 of the second, also on a power play, with his 11th goal. Demitra had an easy tap-in from the side of the net off a pass from Mellanby during a 5-on-3 advantage.

Noteworthy

Slumping F Eric Boguniecki was a healthy scratch for the Blues. Boguniecki had 10 goals in his first 17 games and has one goal in the last 16.

Hejduk has eight goals on the power play, including seven of his last 11 goals overall.

Ten of the Blues' last 15 goals have come on the power play.

The season series between the Blues and the Avalanche is 1-1-1 with one game remaining.