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Coyotes 2, BLUES 1
Coyotes edge Blues 2-1
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Jyrki Lumme snapped a tie with a third-period power-play goal as the Phoenix Coyotes won in the NHL coaching debut of Bob Francis, beating the St. Louis Blues 2-1 Saturday night.
Keith Carney also scored for the Coyotes, who blew a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the playoffs last spring to the Blues. St. Louis won Game 7 on the road in overtime.
The Coyotes won Saturday night without much offense and without holdout goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, just as they did in the preseason when they totaled 15 goals and went 2-4-2. Mikhail Shtalenkov, who was 2-0-1 in the preseason with a 1.30 goals-against average, stopped 23 shots.
Geoff Courtnall scored in the second period for the Blues. Courtnall had only five goals last season, missing all but 24 games with post-concussion syndrome.
The Coyotes spoiled the first game for new Blues owners Bill and Nancy Laurie, who also are buying the Vancouver Grizzlies of the NBA. Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals, who hit his 64th home run earlier in the day, also attended the game.
Lummme was all alone on the left side after the Coyotes won a faceoff in the Blues' zone and beat Roman Turek at 2:49. Chris McAlpine had been penalized for pulling down the Coyotes' Cliff Ronning only four seconds earlier.
Carney, who had only two goals last season, connected on a backhand rebound at 6:23 of the first period. Turek stopped Trevor Letowski's shot, but Letowski got the puck back in the crease and centered it to Carney.
Courtnall tied it at 13:47 of the second on a one-timer after working most of the shift to keep the puck deep in the Phoenix zone. He scored off a feed from Jeff Finley as Letowski rode him into the net.
Summary
----------------------------- Phoenix 1 0 1--2 St Louis 0 1 0--1 ----------------------------- FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Phoenix, Carney 1 (Letowski, Doan), 6:23. Penalties: Sawyer, Pho (fighting major), 7:19; Chase, Stl (fighting major), 7:19; Carney, Pho (tripping), 9:48; Tocchet, Pho (cross checking), 12:15; Bergevin, Stl (holding), 18:23. SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, St Louis, Courtnall 1 (Finley, Handzus), 13:47. Penalties: Carney, Pho (slashing), 1:08; Pronger, Stl (elbowing), 15:41. THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 3, Phoenix, Lumme 1 (power play) (unassisted), 2:49. Penalties: Mcalpine, Stl (holding), 2:45; Drake, Pho (slashing), 3:36; S Pellerin, Stl (slashing), 3:36; Chase, Stl (goalie interference), 6:27; Gill, Pho (high sticking), 9:15. Shots on goal: --------------------------------- Phoenix 11 7 8--26 St Louis 7 10 7--24 --------------------------------- Power-play Conversions: Pho - 1 of 4, Stl - 0 of 4. Goalies: Phoenix, Shtalenkov (24 shots, 23 saves; record: 1-0-0). St Louis, R Turek (26, 24; record: 0-1-0). A:19,883. Referees: Maguire, Trottier. Linesmen: Schachte, Nelson.
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