{"contentId":"3871567","authorDomain":"ap2398"}

Stewart, Yip lead Avalanche over Blues 5-2

Tue Feb 9, 2010 12:07 AM EST

sports, nhl, blues, avalanche, colorado-avalanche, louis-blues, chris-stewart, brandon-yip

{"showStoryLink":false,"showFullCaption":true,"photosData":[{"url":"\/_action\/article\/mediaArticle?mediaContentId=3871565","caption":"Colorado Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson blocks a shot by the St. Louis Blues during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Denver, Monday, Feb. 8, 2010. (AP Photo\/Jack Dempsey)","src":"http:\/\/www.polls.newsvine.com\/_vine\/images\/ap\/nws\/bc5858ac-4e6f-498c-b631-f0ac00aa42bc.jpg","width":380,"height":489},{"url":"\/_action\/article\/mediaArticle?mediaContentId=3871566","caption":"Colorado Avalanche left wing T.J. Galiardi (39) and St. Louis Blues center Jay McClement (18) go after the puck on a faceoff during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Denver, Monday, Feb. 8, 2010. (AP Photo\/Jack Dempsey)","src":"http:\/\/www.polls.newsvine.com\/_vine\/images\/ap\/nws\/12f2628a-2cca-46ba-b144-16d7ac781fd0.jpg","width":"363","height":"512"},{"url":"\/_action\/article\/mediaArticle?mediaContentId=3871591","caption":"Colorado Avalanche trainer Matt Sokolowski checks on goalie Craig Anderson during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues in Denver, Monday, Feb. 8, 2010. (AP Photo\/Jack Dempsey)","src":"http:\/\/www.polls.newsvine.com\/_vine\/images\/ap\/nws\/6630c30d-a458-4aa6-b053-600f674e31aa.jpg","width":380,"height":248}]}

<p>Colorado Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson blocks a shot by the St. Louis Blues during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Denver, Monday, Feb. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)</p>

Colorado Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson blocks a shot by the St. Louis Blues during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Denver, Monday, Feb. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

DENVER — Brandon Yip scored two goals, Chris Stewart had a goal and two assists and the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 5-2 on Monday night.

Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist, T.J. Galiardi also scored, and Craig Anderson made 32 saves for the Avalanche. Colorado moved into a first-place tie with idle Vancouver in the Northwest Division.

Eric Brewer and Erik Johnson scored for the Blues, who have lost three in a row.

The Avalanche blew it open in the first 6 minutes, 34 seconds of the second period. With the game tied at 2, Colorado got goals from Stewart, Stastny and Yip 4:09 apart to take a 5-2 lead and chase Chris Mason, who allowed five goals on 15 shots.

Stewart's three points tied a career high, and his 18 goals tie him for the team lead with rookie Matt Duchene. It was Yip's third two-goal game this season, and gives him 11 goals in 22 games.

Anderson was briefly down on the ice in the second period after taking a puck in the upper chest on a shot by Andy McDonald. A Colorado trainer attended to him in the crease, but Anderson stayed in the game.

The Blues thought they had cut the lead to 5-3 when T.J. Oshie tipped in a rebound midway through the second period, but the goal was disallowed on a hooking penalty called on Oshie.

The game provided early excitement. Just 2:21 in St. Louis forward D.J. King dropped the gloves against David Koci, and the fight seemed to provide some spark. Brewer made it 1-0 with a wrist shot at 3:34 of the first, but 28 seconds later Galiardi tied it with a point-blank shot that beat Mason over his left shoulder.

St. Louis took a 2-1 lead when Johnson beat Anderson with a shot to the short side with 12:01 left in the first. Yip tied it on the power play with 3:18 left in the first period.

NOTES: Johnson's goal was his first since Nov. 30 at Columbus, a span of 31 games. ... Koci suffered a hand injury in his fight with King and did not return. ... Colorado C Ryan O'Reilly (bruised foot) missed his first game of the season. ... Conklin had 18 saves.

{"contentId":"3871567","authorDomain":"ap2398"}