The St. Louis Blues are finding ways to lose leads late in games. On Thursday the Blues took a 3-2 lead into the third period only to see it morph into a 5-3 loss to the Coyotes. This particular scenario is familiar, if not disturbing, to the Blues—it’s the fourth time in the last five games that they’ve lost with a 3-2 lead in the third period.
Oleg Saprykin proved to be the thorn in the Blues’ side, scoring two goals in a 1:28 span early on in the third. Saprykin tied the game at 3-3 at the 4:54 mark, and then gave the Coyotes the lead with a power-play goal at the 6:22 mark. Shane Doan’s power-play goal with 22 seconds remaining made it 5-3.
Mike Sillinger scored at the 6:37 mark of the first period to break a scoreless tie. Doug Weight scored his 11th of the season, 33 seconds into the second period to make it 2-0. It stayed 2-0 until Paul Mara got Phoenix on the board at the 8:57 mark. Just 36 seconds later Boyd Devereaux tied it at 2-2.
Sillinger went back to work to give the Blues the 3-2 lead with 3:35 remaining in the second with his 22nd goal.
Goaltender Curtis Sanford got the loss, making 27 saves.
