Blues cool off red-hot Canucks

Paul Kariya scored a goal and added an assist, and backup goalie Hannu Toivonen made 25 saves to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 3-1 victory over the previously hot Vancouver Canucks Friday night at Scottrade Center.

Rookie Erik Johnson and Martin Rucinsky also scored for the Blues, who have won four straight games at home.

Vancouver's Byron Ritchie, front, moves the puck down the ice as Blues centre Doug Weight trails the play Friday night in St. Louis.
(Jeff Roberson/Associated Press)

"People were into the game and guys were playing great in front of me," Toivonen said. "That's the way to bounce back from the effort we had in Detroit. No one was satisfied and it shows a lot of character from our team to step up like that and get a win."

Vancouver (11-9-2) lost for the first time in regulation in its last nine games.

The only time Vancouver has not earned two points in the last three weeks was in a pair of shootout losses to Edmonton. During their recent streak, the Canucks had gone 6-0-2.

Ryan Kesler scored Vancouver's only goal of the game at 5:11 into the third period, ruining Toivonen's second career shutout bid.

Kariya gave the Blues a 1-0 lead with his sixth goal of the season at 17:46 of the first period, using Canucks defenceman Sami Salo as a screen to beat goaltender Roberto Luongo to the stick side.

Luongo had denied David Perron, who was coming out of the penalty box, on a breakaway attempt just prior to Kariya's goal.

Johnson then put the Blues up 2-0 1:58 into the second on the power play, skating from the left point and one-timing a cross-ice feed from Doug Weight over the shoulder of Luongo.

"I found the seam and [Weight] made a great pass," Johnson said. "I'm pretty much out there just to pass and shoot. I had a great stance and I just pounded it when I got the puck in my wheelhouse."

Rucinsky's goal at 4:26 of the third period staked the Blues to a 3-0 advantage before Kesler put Vancouver on the board less than a minute later.

Toivonen made several key stops in the final period to preserve the Blues' lead, including a redirect in the crease from Vancouver winger Markus Naslund late in the game.

"I thought our guys played hard. I thought both teams played hard," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "There's probably two of those three goals that Roberto would like to have back there, but sometimes those are things that happen. It was just a tough start. We tried to battle back and we weren't able to."

Vancouver's Brendan Morrison had his goal disallowed midway through the third period that would have cut St. Louis's lead to 3-2, but referee Justin St. Pierre blew the play dead during an incidental contact in the crease between Toivonen and the Canucks' Alexandre Burrows.

Luongo was solid for Vancouver despite the loss, stopping 26 shots.