Coyotes 5, Blues 3

PHOENIX (AP) _ For someone who just had a four-point game, Shane Doan was uncommonly deferential to Daniel Briere, his undersized linemate. <br><br>Doan scored twice and set up Briere's two goals as

Tuesday, April 2nd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PHOENIX (AP) _ For someone who just had a four-point game, Shane Doan was uncommonly deferential to Daniel Briere, his undersized linemate.

Doan scored twice and set up Briere's two goals as the Phoenix Coyotes beat the St. Louis Blues 5-3 Monday night.

``Nothing Danny does surprises me anymore,'' Doan said. ``I mean, the guy can do things. Everyone's been talking about how he's too small for so long. He's just proved everyone wrong.''

The Coyotes tied San Jose for first place in the Pacific Division with the win. The Sharks have seven games left to six for the Coyotes, who have earned 27 points in their last 17 games to amass 89.

``It's so much fun what's happening to us,'' Briere said. ``You know, that stretch run, and nobody expecting us to battle for a high spot like that. We have no pressure; we're just playing hard every night and trying to cause some havoc.''

St. Louis remained tied with idle Los Angeles for sixth in the West with 86 points.

The physical game saw three ejections _ including former Phoenix captain Keith Tkachuk.

``We play a physical game,'' Tkachuk said. ``We're a strong team, and that's what we've got to do to be successful.''

Pavol Demitra and Scott Young scored power-play goals for the Blues, and Tyson Nash had a goal before he was ejected in the second period.

Young scored 3:52 into the third period, tightening the score to 4-3, early in a five-minute St. Louis power play after the ejection of Phoenix's Drake Berehowsky.

But Phoenix, which got three shots and no goals out of a five-minute power play when Nash was tossed, was solid the rest of the way, and Doan delivered an insurance goal with a slap shot in the slot that sailed over Fred Brathwaite's left shoulder with 4:56 remaining.

``They certainly have good balance,'' said Blues defenseman Al MacInnis, whose two assists gave him 1,200 career points. ``It gives them a chance to win every night, and when you get goaltending like that, they can take chances. They're playing great.''

The Coyotes began on Briere's first goal 6:37 into the game _ his 30th. The 24-year-old Briere's previous career high was 11 last season.

Nash tied it at 1 on a rebound with 5:00 remaining in the first.

Daymond Langkow scored 26 seconds into the second period, and Doan made it 3-1 just 56 seconds later, spinning and firing after Brent Johnson blocked a shot by Brian Savage. Johnson started, but was replaced before the third period after giving up four goals on 15 shots.

The Blues' Demitra beat Burke with a wrist shot at 8:49 of the second, but Briere, who also had an assist, made it 4-2 late in the period after Doan flipped a no-look pass away from the boards.

Notes: Briere, who has 43 points in 39 games, is the fourth Coyote with 30 goals since the move to Phoenix in 1996. Tkachuk did it three times, Jeremy Roenick twice and Mike Gartner once. ... Demitra's goal was his 30th, second-best of his career. ... The Scott Mellanby-Demitra-Tkachuk line has 30 points in the last 13 games. ... The Coyotes break ground on their new arena in suburban Glendale on Wednesday.