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 The Coyotes' roller-coaster season took another hair-raising turn
Friday when center Martin Hanzal scored three goals, including two
in a span of nine seconds in the second period, to pound the
Vancouver Canucks 5-0.
This is the same Arizona team that had lost 5-3 to the Calgary
Flames the previous night. The same team that had lost three in a
row, won three in a row, then lost three in a row again to crash to
the bottom of Western Conference standings.
"That's our problem right now," said Hanzal. "That's what we have to
change.
"We all know where we are in the standings right now. If you want to
be a playoff team you have to start winning more games in a row, not
just win one and lose one."
The Coyotes were outshot 35-23 but the Canucks couldn't beat
goaltender Devan Dubnyk who recorded his ninth career shutout. He
was especially sharp in the first period when Arizona was outshot
12-3 but escaped with a 1-0 lead off Hanzal's first goal.
 "It's always nice to get some shots early and get a chance to find
some pucks and feel it a little bit," said Dubnyk, who was playing
in just his fifth game of the season.
"I don't have to worry about last night or the night before. I just
try to go in and give it my best effort. That's what I wanted to
focus on here, not being the starter, just really enjoying the
starts and take it one game at a time."
The win improved the Coyotes' record to 7-9-1 for 15 points and
moved them out of last place in the NHL Western Conference, one
point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers.
It was a frustrating loss for the Canucks who were denied a chance
to move into first place in the NHL. The Canucks' record of 12-6-0
for 24 points leaves them one point behind Montreal and Anaheim in
the overall standings.
Vancouver had won four of its last five games but didn't look to
have the effort to beat the Coyotes.
"That's not good enough," said left winger Daniel Sedin. "We had a
lot of shots but we had no guys in front of the net and got no
rebounds."
The game shifted in the second period.
With his team holding onto a 1-0 lead, Hanzal deflected a shot from
right winger Tobias Rieder past Vancouver goaltender Ryan Miller.
The puck appeared to come off a high stick. The play was reviewed
and the goal stood.
On the following faceoff Hanzal took a pass from right winger Martin
Erat, stepped around a Vancouver defenseman, and beat Miller with a
wrist shot.
Hanzal said he thought the goal was "50-50" when it went for review.
"I wasn't really sure," he said. "They called it a good goal.
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"That's pretty much all I can say about it."
Right winger Alex Burrows said the Canucks failed to respond to the
situation.
"We thought from the bench it was probably going to be a no-goal,"
said Burrows. "Then the next thing you know it's a goal and we kind
of lost our focus and they scored (again).
"We have to be smart and we have to be better. We have to more on."
Right winger Shane Doan and defenseman Keith Yandle, on the power
play, also scored for the Coyotes. Erat and center Sam Gagner each
had two assists as Arizona won on the road for just the third time
this season.
Arizona coach Dave Tippett was pleased with the way his team
responded after the loss the previous night.
"We played a solid road game after not playing very well last
night," he said.
"I thought we played a very smart game. We were disciplined with the
puck and got a couple of breaks. Those two quick goals were
certainly the turning point."
NOTES: RW Radim Vrbata returned to the Canucks lineup after missing
two games with a leg injury. ... Rookie C Bo Horvat was a healthy
scratch for Vancouver. ... Canucks equipment manager Pat O'Neill
dropped the puck in a ceremonial faceoff to honour his 2,500th game.
... The Canucks called D Bobby Sanguinetti up from the AHL Utica
Comets. He skated in the warmup but didn't dress for the game. ...
The Canucks play in Edmonton Wednesday then return home for games
against Anaheim Thursday, Chicago Sunday and New Jersey next
Tuesday. ... Arizona waived D David Schlemko who had one assist and
was minus-3 in seven games this season. ... RW Shane Doan has played
in 67 games against Vancouver, more than any other Coyote. ... RW B.
J. Crombeen played in his 400th NHL game. ... The Coyotes won three
of five games against Vancouver last season. All the wins were by
one goal and both losses came in overtime. ... The Coyotes play in
Edmonton on Sunday.
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