VANCOUVER, B.C. – Mason Raymond scored two goals and an assist and Ryan Kesler added three helpers as the Vancouver Canucks beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 Wednesday.
Raymond and Kesler assisted on Christian Ehrhoff’s winning power-play goal. Ehrhoff’s shot from the side boards deflected off St. Louis defenceman Barrett Jackman and snuck between Ty Conklin’s pad and the post.
The goal came 32 seconds after Paul Kariya was penalized for slashing Henrik Sedin.
The Canucks (33-18-2) posted a season-high sixth straight victory in their final home game before a 14-game road trip surrounding the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Raymond and Kesler helped pick up the scoring slack as the Blues (23-22-8) held Vancouver’s top line of Henrik and Daniel Sedin and Alex Burrows off the scoresheet.
Burrows’ 12-game points streak, the third-longest in the NHL this season, came to an end while both Sedins saw five-game point streaks terminate.
Raymond has three goals in four games after being blanked in 10 straight.
Keith Tkachuk and T.J. Oshie replied for the Blues.
Vancouver outshot the Blues 34-27 but struggled to score against Conklin, who recorded 31 saves.
Vancouver went one-for-five on the power play while the Blues converted one of two man-advantage opportunities.
St. Louis defenceman Erik Johnson hit the post in the closing moments.
In their previous meeting on New Year’s Eve, the Canucks overcame a 3-0 lead to beat St. Louis 4-3 in overtime, costing former St. Louis coach Andy Murray his job
Tkachuk’s power-play goal gave the Blues a 1-0 lead on their first shot of the game at 4:24 of the opening period. Tkachuk fired in Andy McDonald’s backhand pass across the goalmouth from a sharp angle.
Raymond tied the game 1:17 later when he deflected in Kesler’s shot after David Perron turned the puck over in the Blues’ zone. The Canucks outshot St. Louis 14-6 in the first period but could not score again.
In the second period, Conklin kicked out a Kesler shot after another giveaway with about four minutes left in the scoreless frame.
Raymond put the Canucks ahead 2-1 at 3:37 of the third as he faked a slapshot and then put a wrist shot in off Johnson’s stick.
The Canucks thought they had scored a about two minutes later as Pavol Demitra deflected Kyle Wellwood’s pass off Conklin, the post and back off Conklin onto the ice. But a quick video review determined the puck did not cross the line.
Oshie tied the game 2-2 midway through the third, converting a pass from David Backes.
The Canucks start their road trip Saturday in Toronto.
Notes: A pre-game ceremony saluted Olympians from both teams. … Backes, who has been the subject of a rumoured trade to Vancouver, returned to action after missing three games with an upper-body injury. … Canucks defencemen Willie Mitchell (concussion) and Sami Salo (groin) remained out with injuries. Mitchell will not travel for the start of the road trip but might suit up somewhere along the way. … Barring unforeseen circumstances, Henrik Sedin with play his 700th career game Saturday. … Daniel Sedin has 23 more games to go to reach 700 after missing 18 earlier this season because of a fractured foot.
