Coyotes snap Canucks’ seven-game streak
Posted March 19, 2011 10:55 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
VANCOUVER — Radim Vrbata and Shane Doan scored power-play goals 1:18 apart in the third period Friday as the surging Phoenix Coyotes defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1.
Lee Stempniak added an empty netter for the Coyotes, who scored twice on the power play after Alex Burrows received a boarding major and game misconduct.
Christian Ehrhoff replied for the Canucks to briefly cut the Phoenix lead to 2-1.
Coyotes goaltender Jason LaBarbera, a Langley, B.C., product making only his third start in the past 31 games, recorded 46 saves for the win. The strong performance was a sharp contrast from his previous start Feb. 23 in Tampa Bay, when he allowed eight goals on 39 shots.
Phoenix has won five straight and six of its last seven. The Coyotes (39-23-12) pulled within a point of the Pacific Division-leading San Jose Sharks. Perhaps more importantly, the Phoenix gained a stronger post-season foothold it the battle to be among the Western Conference’s top-eight teams.
Phoenix retained fourth place in the conference, while moving four points ahead of the idle Los Angeles Kings.
The Canucks (47-17-9) saw their winning streak end at seven games. Vancouver played well considering centre Manny Malhotra’s absence due to a serious eye injury. Coach Alain Vigneault was forced to shuffle three lines, as well as his power-play and penalty-killing units.
Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped 27 shots.
The mood in the Canucks dressing room was sombre Friday morning as the team contemplated Malhotra’s injury. He underwent surgery Wednesday night to drain blood and fluid after being struck by a deflected puck. The long-term prognosis on his vision quality remains uncertain.
Vancouver lost Burrows after he face-planted Vernon Fiddler into the end boards at 11:09 of the third. Fiddler went to the dressing room for evaluation of a possible concussion.
Earlier in the week, league general manager announced a new initiative to enforce existing boarding and charging penalties more strictly.
Vrbata beat Luongo with a backhand from the slot at 13:31 before Doan ripped a slapshot from the point at 14:49.
Ehrhoff replied at 17:02 but Stempniak scored his third goal in three games into an empty net with just over a minute left.
LaBarbera, getting a rare chance to play before family and friends, was sharp as Vancouver outshot Phoenix 12-6 in the scoreless first period. He robbed Chris Higgins after the Canuck intercepted a David Schlemko pass from behind the net just over seven and a half minutes into the game.
Vancouver’s revamped special teams units were kept busy in the first 20 minutes. The Coyotes were blanked on three man-advantage opportunities while the Canucks were stymied on two.
In the second, the Luongo caught two Keith Yandle slapshots and also denied Mikkel Boedker on a rush.
Early in the third, Vancouver was awarded 5-on-3 power play for 1:10 seconds after Adrian Aucoin was called for cross-checking and Rostislav Klesla went off for tripping but the Canucks couldn’t find a way through the Coyotes defence.
Notes: Aucoin, is one game away from 1,000 for his career. He started it with the Canucks in the early 1990s. … Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa (foot) and winger Tanner Glass (upper-body soreness) are expected back from injuries Wednesday in Detroit. … Three other Vancouver defencemen, Alex Edler (back), Andrew Alberts (wrist) and Lee Sweatt (foot) remain out. … Phoenix played without defencemen Kurt Sauer (concussion) and Ed Jovanovski (orbital-bone surgery) as well as centre Martin Hanzal (lower body). All are listed as day-to-day.
