ST. LOUIS, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Scott Young, Pavol Demitra and Keith Tkachuk scored in the first period Saturday night to help the St. Louis Blues end a five-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.
The five goals were one more than St. Louis scored during the losing streak, which started three nights after a 4-1 victory over Phoenix on Nov. 10.
Defenseman Chris Pronger's goal early in the second period turned out to be the game-winner and Jamal Mayers added an insurance tally with four minutes left in the third. Both players scored on hard slap shots, although Pronger's bounced off the crossbar before getting behind rookie goaltender Patrick DesRochers.
A former first-round draft pick, DesRochers replaced Robert Esche to start the second period.
St. Louis appeared set to run away after racing to a 3-0 lead. Young scored his fourth goal at 4:52 and Demitra batted a rebound of Young's power-play point shot past Esche less than two minutes later for his 13th of the season.
Tkachuk, a former Coyotes' captain, barely beat the first-period buzzer for a power-play goal. Doug Weight centered from the left boards and the puck caromed in off the skate of Tkachuk, who has three goals in two games against his former team.
Pronger's first goal since Oct. 25 made it 4-0, but the momentum turned in Phoenix's favor when rookie Krystofer Kolanos scored his eighth of the season 8:23 into the second period.
Defenseman Radoslav Suchy scored 29 seconds later off a faceoff win by former Blue Michal Handzus and defenseman Teppo Numminen beat goalie Brent Johnson with a slap shot at 16:48 for his first goal since last Jan. 23.
