Phoenix Coyotes manage 3-2 win against Dallas Stars
Radim Vrbata lit the lamp in overtime to lead the Phoenix Coyotes to a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Centre on Wednesday night.
Michal Rozsival and Mikkel Boedker both also found the back of the net for Phoenix, who have won three consecutive games. Ilya Bryzgalov started between the pipes, turning away 16 shots for the victors.
Coyotes Head Coach Dave Tippett praised his side's performance, despite getting off to a slow start. He said, "We had too many turnover tonight. As the game went on we got better, started playing faster and were able to get the win."
Brad Richards netted a goal and earned an assist, while Steve Ott also tallied a goal for Dallas, who have lost four contests in a row. Kari Lehtonen made 32 saves in the loss.
Richards said after the game, "It was a tight game and we play a lot of those against Phoenix. We're gonna have some that go our way, then others where we battle hard and come out on the wrong end."
The Stars opened the scoring just after the midway mark of the first stanza to take a 1-0 lead. The goal came when Richards backhanded the puck from behind the net to the left circle, where Ott fired a wrist shot into the net.
Rozsival however, drew the Coyotes even at 1-1 on the power play with nearly one and a half minutes to play in the first period. The goal was set up by Taylor Pyatt, who released a shot from the right side toward the net. The attempt was saved but Rozsival
grabbed the rebound and knocked it home.
Dallas then restored their lead at 2-1 just six minutes into the middle frame. The goal was set up when Richards sprung Nicklas Grossman on a short breakaway and his shot was blocked. Richards though, followed the puck and buried in the rebound from the
left side.
Boedker then tied the game at 2-2 just five and a half minutes into the final session, as he redirected Ray Whitney’s cross-ice pass into the net for his first goal of the 2010-11 season.
Vrbata eventually scored the game-winning goal to give Phoenix a decisive 3-2 lead on the power play just over a minute into overtime. The move started when Jamie Langenbrunner was whistled for tripping with 19 seconds left in regulation time, and the Coyotes
capitalised in overtime.
Keith Yandle controlled the puck and swept it from the high slot to Vrbata in the right circle. Vrbata then stick-handled the puck and blasted a wrist shot past Lehtonen to seal the victory.
An excited Vrbata said after the game, “When the puck got to me, I saw one of their defensemen sliding in front of me so I toe-dragged it a little, got free and put it on net. Luckily it went in.”
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