Coyotes hammer Blues for rare victory

[March 08, 2023]  Travis Boyd scored twice and Clayton Keller added a goal and two assists as the Arizona Coyotes defeated the St. Louis Blues 6-2 Tuesday in Tempe, Ariz.

Christian Fischer and Nick Schmaltz and a goal and an assist for the Coyotes, who won for just the second time in their last seven games.

Mar 7, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Coyotes center Travis Boyd (72) celebrates with right wing Christian Fischer (36) after scoring on St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) in the third period at Mullett Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Lawson Crouse also scored, Barrett Hayton and Matias Maccelli had two assists each, and Karel Vejmelka made 40 saves for the winners.

Pavel Buchnevich scored both St. Louis goals and Jordan Binnington made 21 saves for the reeling Blues, who are 1-6-2 in their last nine games.

The Blues struck first with Buchnevich's breakaway goal 2:12 into the game. Justin Faulk created the opportunity with a home-run pass.

The Coyotes tied the game 1-1 with 7:07 left in the first period with a favorable bounce. Connor Mackey shot well wide of the right post, but the puck caromed off the end boards to Fischer and the left side for a tap-in.

Vejmelka made spectacular saves to keep the Blues off the board in the second period. First, he stopped Brandon Saad's break-in off Sammy Blais' outlet pass from his blue line little more than two minutes into the period.

Then Vejmelka denied Robert Thomas on a two-on-none rush with Jordan Kyrou. He also thwarted Thomas' short-handed breakaway and Kyrou's clean power-play break-in.

The Coyotes took a 2-1 lead with Schmaltz's power-play goal with 3:35 left in the second. Hayton set him up with a cross-crease backhand pass.

After Arizona killed off a five-on-three power play to start the third period, Boyd increased the Coyotes' lead to 3-1. Keller faked a slap shot from the center point and fed Boyd in the slot.

Buchnevich cut the Blues' deficit to 3-2 by slicing through the left circle to lift a backhand shot under the bar at 8:18 of the third.

But the Coyotes countered by scoring on a three-on-two rush with Boyd punching in Fischer's rebound at 10:59. Keller converted Schmaltz's pass off the rush to make it 5-2 at 12:59 and Crouse's goal with 2:06 left made it 6-2.

--Field Level Media

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