Phoenix Coyotes stun Columbus Blue Jackets to get strong advantage in Pacific Division – NHL Recap
The Phoenix Coyotes have found their defensive rhythm right at the correct time as their goaltender, Mike Smith, got his third shutout in a row to lead his team to a victory against Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, April 03, 2012, at Jobing.com Arena, Glendale,
Arizona.
The victory not only marked the defensive strength of the Coyotes, but it also amplified their chances of reaching the playoffs as they are now tied for the first place in the Pacific Division with Los Angeles Kings.
Before this game, Coyotes had defeated San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks. Smith earned shutouts in both games.
However, Smith is concerned more about his team leading the division and making it to the playoffs rather than the number of his shutouts. He said after the victory:
"This is an important time of the year, and everyone needs to play well. We can win the division, and we're all aware of that. So, it's all about winning and not shutouts."
Despite the victory, Coyotes have some questions to answer as they were outscored by the Blue Jackets, who made 54 shots while Coyotes could only get 22.
Coyotes’ coach, Dave Tippet, said after the game:
"We're going to figure some things out like line-up changes. When you give up 18 shots on your penalty kill, you're going to be under siege most of the night. By getting outshot the way we have, that means you don't have the puck enough, and that's what's
happening."
Overall, the game was not much entertaining in terms of scoring goals as both goals scored by Coyotes came in the second period. No team was able to score in either the first or the third period.
Coyotes got their first goal in the second period at 5:45 when Boyd Gordon got his eighth goal of the season. The credit of the goal equally goes to Lauri Korpikoski, who provided assist to Gordon.
After getting the lead, Coyotes continued facing shots from the opponents, but Smith rescued them every time.
Around two minutes after the first scoring move, Gilbert Brule doubled the lead. Brule collected a pass from Michal Rozsival and struck a backhanded shot to get his fifth goal of the season.
The victory was third straight for Coyotes. At the moment, they are ranked at seventh spot in the Western Conference with 93 points after 80 games. They have two more games to play in the regular season.
Coyotes will face St. Louis Blues on Friday while they will play their last game of the regular season against Minnesota Wild on Saturday.
On the other hand, the Blue Jackets, who are already eliminated from the playoff contention, were on a three-game winning streak before this defeat.
They will face Colorado Avalanche on Thursday while Blue Jackets will take on New York Islanders in their last game of the season on Saturday.
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