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 Boedker scored his first career hat trick in the Coyotes' 7-4
victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Gila River Arena on Wednesday,
and he became the first player in franchise history to score five
goals in the first three games of a season.
"I'm getting good opportunities," said Boedker, who ranks behind
only New York Rangers winger Rick Nash (six) in goals this season.
"My linemates are finding me. It's going to even out eventually, but
when you are hot, things tend to go in."
Boedker tied the game at 1 with his first goal on a power play
midway through the first period. He took a pass at the blue line
ahead of the Oilers' defense and skated in alone on goaltender Ben
Scrivens.
At 9:07 of the third period, he flipped a backhand shot on net that
slipped through Scrivens' pads for an easy goal and a 5-3 lead.
Boedker capped the scoring with an empty-net goal with 26.7 seconds
remaining.
Boedker, plays who on a line with Coyotes right wing Shane Doan and
center Antoine Vermette, has his five goals on only 13 shots. Doan
has three assists and Vermette has two this season.
"He gets lots of opportunity, playing on a line with Vermette and
Doan," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "We're counting on him to
have a big year, and it's good to see him be off to a real good
start.
"We just need him to be as good a player as he can be. You saw
glimpses of it over the last few years. His challenge is ... being a
factor in the game. If he can continue to do that night in and night
out, he is going to continue to be a very good player for us."
Left winger Taylor Hall scored his second and third goals of the
season and added an assist for Edmonton (0-3-1), which has given up
13 goals the past two nights and 23 goals this season.
The Oilers also got goals from defenseman Mark Fayne and center Mark
Arcobello. Scrivens made 23 saves in the losing effort.
"It's tough to swallow," Hall said. "We'd love to give up less goals
and score more, but it is just not happening right now. We have to
figure out a way to limit those crazy scoring chances and those
chances that are tough for a goalie to save."
Defenseman Connor Murphy and forwards Kyle Chipchura, Rob
Klinkhammer and Martin Erat scored their first goals of the season
for the Coyotes (2-1-0), who won their second game in a row. Boedker
added an assist.
Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith made 23 saves in the win, and he
recorded his ninth career assist on Boedker's first goal. Defenseman
Keith Yandle had his fourth assist of the season on the same play.
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Murphy and Klinkhammer scored 67 seconds apart early in the second
period for a 4-2 Arizona lead. Arcobello got the Oilers within one
goal at 3:39 of the third period before Boedker got his second goal.
"Our effort throughout the game I liked," Edmonton coach Dallas
Eakins said. "It's the big mistake or the bad luck that is killing
us. We know the luck will change, but we have to eliminate the big
mistake.
Edmonton, one of four winless teams in the league, is off to its
worst start since losing its first four games in 1995-96. The Oilers
had 29 victories and 67 points last season, worst in the Western
Conference and third worst in the league.
"I don't think it can get any worse than last year," Hall said.
"There is no double about it, 0-3-1 is a tough start for us."
NOTES: Edmonton G Viktor Fasth was placed on injured reserve with a
groin injury Wednesday, a day he gave up three goals on 11 shots
before being removed from the Oilers' 6-1 loss at Los Angeles. ...
The Oilers promoted G Richard Bachman from Oklahoma City of the
American Hockey League to take Fasth's roster spot. Bachman, 27, was
0-2-1 with a 3.02 goals-against average in three games with the
Oilers last season. He played in 32 games with Dallas from 2010-13.
... Coyotes C Sam Gagner had 101 goals and 195 assists with Edmonton
the last seven seasons. He was acquired in a trade this offseason
with RW B.J. Crombeen for a sixth-round choice in the 2015 draft.
... Oilers C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins missed a second straight game with
an upper-body injury.
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