Predators top Coyotes 5-4 in shootout

[March 13, 2012]  GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Andrei Kostitsyn scored the only goal in the shootout to give the Nashville Predators a 5-4 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday night.

Kostitsyn, shooting first for the Preds, beat Mike Smith through his legs for the win.

Phoenix trailed 4-2 early in the third, but Oilver Ekman-Larrson and Raffi Torres scored to help send the game to overtime.

Martin Erat had a goal and two assists for Nashville.

Erat opened the scoring when his shot from the right faceoff circle trickled through Smith's pads with 29 second left in the opening period. He helped set up second-period goals by Mike Fisher and Francis Bouillon.

Craig Smith added his 15th early in the final period to give Nashville a 4-2 advantage. Then, the Coyotes responded.

Ekman-Larsson scored at 7:11 to get Phoenix within one, and Torres tied it with 4:59 left when he poked in a goalmouth scramble.

The Coyotes recorded one point and remained in seventh in the Western Conference. Colorado beat Anaheim in overtime earlier Monday and is one back of Phoenix with 78 points.

Nashville pulled within two points of Detroit for fourth out West.

Phoenix tied it twice in the second. Daymond Langkow tipped in Ekman-Larrson's shot from the right point 49 seconds into period. After Fisher scored, Keith Yandle drilled a 25-foot slap shot past Pekka Rinne at 14:23.

Bouillon then knocked in his own rebound with 1:34 left in the second to make it 3-2.

Smith and Rinne finished with 31 saves apiece.

NOTES: Erat picked up his second three-point game of the season. . Langkow's goal was just his second in his last 21 games. . Nine of Nashville's final 13 games are on the road, while Phoenix has five of its next six on the road.

[Associated Press]

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