Burke, Coyotes Blank Rangers

Sean Burke is enjoying the good run the Phoenix Coyotes are on. He just isn't impressed with how they are playing.

Burke stopped 39 shots for his 24th career shutout, and Shane Doan and Teppo Numminen scored as the Coyotes beat the Rangers 2-0 Sunday night to snap New York's three-game winning streak.

"I don't want to sound like the guy who's raining on the parade, but we're not playing great hockey and we're winning," Burke said.

Phoenix had lost two straight after a 12-game unbeaten streak, but the Coyotes - with 25 points - still managed to produce their second best 18-game start.

It's not enough, however, to satisfy Burke.

"We've got to play better," he said. "It's nice to win, but we're not going to get overly excited about it. I think we're a long way away from being an elite team."

"This is a tough building to win in, especially with the way they're playing right now," Burke said. "That's a huge win for us."

Burke, who made 45 saves in a 4-0 victory at Columbus on Oct. 30, lowered his goals-against average to 1.54.

"He hasn't had a poor performance yet. As far as weak goals, I can only remember two all year," coach Bob Francis said. "He's been consistent from the first day of training camp. We've become used to seeing him play this way."

Mike Richter made 25 saves for the Rangers, who had won five of six and scord at least four times in all of those games. Richter had a personal five-game winning streak ended.

"I thought we played very well," Richter said. "We started out a little bumpy in the second period. They got the lead and were able to sit on it."

Burke, who was the game's first star for the sixth time in his last nine starts, excelled in the second period after the Coyotes took the lead on Doan's fifth goal of the season at 2:54.

The Phoenix goalie denied Michael York with a glove save six minutes into the period after the New York forward stole the puck in the Coyotes' zone and skated in alone. Burke also stopped Jan Hlavac's shot at the left post moments later.

Theo Fleury, who leads the Rangers with 21 points, was thwarted several times including twice in the final five minutes while New York was short-handed.

Burke kept the shutout intact with two good stops in front in the last 30 seconds after the Rangers pulled Richter for an extra skater.

"We knew Burke was a good goalie," New York's Petr Nedved said. "As the game goes on and we create chances, it gets tougher and tougher."

Doan did good work to get into position to give the Coyotes the lead when he forced Nedved into a bad pass. Nedved tried a clearing attempt through the center of the ice, but it was intercepted at the blue line by Travis Green.

Green moved the puck back to Doan in the right circle and his wrist shot beat Richter between his pads.

Richter benefitted when two pucks struck the right post in the middle period.

Phoenix extended its lead to 2-0 in the third when Numminen corralled a loose puck at the right point and sent a high-rising shot that tipped off Richter's glove and in for his second goal at 10:46.

Notes