Coyotes Fall To Blues In St. Louis

The Arizona Coyotes were defeated by the St. Louis Blues 2-1 on Tuesday night. The Coyotes looked fatigued after taking a victory the previous night and will split the back-to-back games against Central division opponents.

The first period began with the Arizona Coyotes taking the lead within the first five minutes. Sam Gagner notched his 10th goal of the season when he beat goaltender Jake Allen with a top shelf shot that went right by the glove side.

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Ten minutes later, the St. Louis Blues were able to equalize the contest at 1-1. After T.J. Oshie drove to the net and was able to put a shot on goaltender Mike Smith, Alexander Steen was able to pick up the rebound for his 18th goal of the season.

St. Louis was able to dictate the pace of the game during the second period as they were afforded two power play opportunities. Although they were unsuccessful, the momentum shift kept Arizona from being able to create much offensively with only four shots on goal in the second period.

At the halfway point of the contest, Dmitrij Jaskin sent a seemingly harmless backhand shot toward Smith that was able to escape the Arizona netminder’s gear to give St. Louis a 2-1 advantage.

Feb 10, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith (41) blocks a shot against the St. Louis Blues during the second period at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

With the Coyotes pushing hard toward the end of the game, they were able to draw a penalty with around two and a half minutes left in the game. Although Arizona had plenty of opportunities in the final moments of the game, they were unable to cash in and had to settle for a 2-1 defeat.

Smith was able to keep Arizona in the contest with a tremendous effort. Smith saved 34-of-36 shots on route to a tough loss. Although Smith has improved his play recently, it was a bad goal that made all the difference.

The Arizona Coyotes (20-28-7) will return to Glendale to host the San Jose Sharks on Friday night while the St. Louis Blues (35-15-4) will travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning on Thursday.

Goals:

Arizona Coyotes:

• Sam Gagner (10th)

St. Louis Blues:

• Alexander Steen (18th)
• Dmitrij Jaskin (7th)

Three Stars:

1. T.J. Oshie
2. Alexander Steen
3. Dmitrij Jaskin