Tkachuk leads Blues past Phoenix

ST. LOUIS -- Keith Tkachuk had two goals and an assist to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday.

In his first game against his former team after last year's trade, Tkachuk scored a power play goal at 2:21 of the first to give St. Louis the lead for good.

After receiving a pass from Pavol Demitra, Tkachuk broke in alone and beat Phoenix goaltender Robert Esche for his eighth of the year.

Tkachuk got his ninth of the season at 10:14 of the second period. Demitra and Tkachuk skated in on a 2-on-1 and Tkachuk redirected Demitra's pass past Esche.

Ladislav Nagy scored for Phoenix at 9:01 of the third period. Nagy poked home a rebound for his first of the year. Nagy returned to the Phoenix lineup Saturday after missing seven games with a knee injury.

Blues' goaltender Fred Brathwaite was not challenged much by the Coyotes in the first two periods. Phoenix did not reach double-digits in shots until the beginning of the third period.

Scott Mellanby added a second-period power-play goal for the Blues.

Doug Weight scored a power-play goal at 19:15 of the third period. Tkachuk assisted on Weight's sixth of the year.

The power-play goals were the seventh in the last four games for the Blues.

The win was the fifth in the last six games for St. Louis.

The Coyotes have lost five of their last seven games.

Phoenix lost its fourth consecutive game at Savvis Center. The Coyotes have not won in St. Louis since Oct. 10, 1999.

Brathwaite made 23 saves while Esche stopped 34 shots.

NOTES: Phoenix defenseman Teppo Numminen missed his second game with a broken foot. ... St. Louis is 7-1-2 when scoring a power-play goal. ... Brathwaite started consecutive games for the first time since Oct. 17 and 19. ... St. Louis is 7-1-0 when scoring first. ... Goaltender Sean Burke had played in 11 of Phoenix's last 13 games.