Mike Smith Stops 41 Shots As Coyotes Beat Kings, 3-1
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Mike Smith stopped 41 shots, Kyle Chipchura had a goal and an assist, and the Phoenix Coyotes rebounded from a lopsided loss to Los Angeles by beating the Kings 3-1 Tuesday night.
Smith had a miserable game in California last Thursday, when he was pulled after allowing four goals on 15 shots in the first period of the Kings' 7-4 win.
The Coyotes were sharp early defensively in the rematch and Smith was superb throughout, making numerous tough saves before Jarret Stoll beat him on a power play late in the third period.
Phoenix's Derek Morris and Shane Doan each scored in the final 2 minutes of the second to break open a tight game. Chipchura scored in the third and Andy Miele had two assists for his first NHL points to help Phoenix improve to 5-0-1 at home.
Los Angeles goalie Ben Scrivens stopped 30 shots, giving up two goals in the second period on deflections.
The Coyotes were trying to find a way to clean things up in their own end after a pair of wide-open games that featured 20 combined goals.
The latest was against Edmonton on Saturday, when Phoenix took a two-goal lead, lost it when the Oilers scored three straight and won 5-4 with a pair of third-period goals.
The one before that was the game in Los Angeles, where the Kings scored four goals in the first period, Phoenix rallied to tie it with four straight goals in 13 minutes and the Kings pulled away by scoring the final three, the last into an empty net to complete Dwight King's hat trick.
The rematch was more like these division rivals are used to playing, marked by solid defense, some big hits, along with plenty of testiness and trash talking.
The scoreless first period had plenty of action, featuring 20 minutes of penalties and five players in the box at one point.
The tension boiled over early in the second, when LA's Daniel Carcillo and Chipchura dropped the gloves for a fight near mid-ice.
Both teams traded good scoring chances in the period and both goalies were superb, turning away a combined 23 shots.
The Coyotes called a timeout after a flurry by the Kings late in the period and responded with two goals in the final 1:41.
Morris got the first on a shot from the point that caromed off Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr's skate and teammate Drew Doughty's leg. Doan followed with his 100th career power-play goal at 5.9 seconds, redirecting a shot by Oliver Ekman-Larsson from the point.
Chipchura made it 3-0 in the third period when a cross by David Moss went off his skate past Scrivens.
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