St. Louis moves closer to playoffs with 5-1 win

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- B.J. Crombeen scored twice, Chris Mason made 28 saves and the St. Louis Blues beat the Phoenix Coyotes 5-1 Tuesday to inch closer to the playoffs.

The Blues, who have not made the playoffs since 2004, won for the seventh time in nine games to move two points ahead of Nashville for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Predators lost 4-2 in Chicago.

Keith Tkachuk had a goal and an assist and Brad Winchester also scored for St. Louis, which completed its first season sweep against the Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise.

St. Louis scored four straight goals after falling behind 1-0 on Scottie Upshall's goal 6:14 into the game.

Crombeen tied the game 1-1 at 11:00 of the first period when his wrist shot from the right circle slid between Ilya Bryzgalov's pads and trickled across the goal line.

The goal was Crombeen's first since February 16, a span of 23 games.

Winchester made it 2-1 just 17 seconds into the second period when he one-timed a pass from Tkachuk from in front of the net. Tkachuk scored at 8:13 when he took control of a loose puck in front of the Coyotes goal and beat Bryzgalov from the bottom of the left faceoff circle.

Crombeen scored with 13.7 seconds left in the second, and David Perron stepped out of the penalty box and scored on a breakaway off a long outlet from T.J. Oshie with 11:33 to play.

Bryzgalov allowed four goals on 21 shots before giving way to rookie Al Montoya, who surrendered Perron's goal on the first shot he faced.