Korpikoski Scores 2 To Lead Coyotes Past Sharks
GLENDALE, Ariz. (CBS/AP) -- Lauri Korpikoski scored two goals to lead the Phoenix Coyotes to a 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.
Down by two goals late, the Sharks' Patrick Marleau scored with 32 seconds left, but the Coyotes' Radim Vrbata scored at 19:59.
With one of the worst home records in the league, Phoenix's picked up its 11th at home this season (26 points), and only Montreal and Columbus have less points at home.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak by San Jose. Phoenix won for the second time in its last six games.
In the middle period, the Coyotes picked up three goals on six shots to take a one goal lead into the final session. Despite falling behind 1-0, Phoenix managed to create leads of 2-1 and 3-2, and one more in the final period.
Late in the second period, Martin Hanzal picked up the game winner.
Taking a pass from Ray Whitney in the left face-off circle, Hanzal drove the puck into the upper left corner of the net for his sixth of the season with 46 seconds left in the second period, and that put Phoenix into the lead for good.
The goal was Hanzal's first in nearly two months. During this stretch, he missed 12 games due to upper body injury.
Coming into the game, the Sharks allowed two goals in its last three games and the defense continued to shut down the opposition. In the first 11 minutes of the game, the Sharks' defense limited Phoenix to two shots on Antti Niemi, but eventually ended the opening session with 11 shots on net.
The Sharks struck first less than 4 minutes into the second period, but the Coyotes responded 32 seconds later.
First, Logan Couture's shot from outside the crease trickled off goalie Mike Smith pads and into the net for Couture's 22nd of the season.
Raffi Torres drilled a 30 foot slap shot from the slot past Niemo at 4:16 to knot the score at 1-1.
Phoenix then surged ahead when, falling to his knees, Korpikoski's shot from the slot ripped past Niemo midway through the second session. Korpikoski added his second of the game when he converted a pass from Boyd Gordon in front of the net at 8:03 left in the game.
Jamie McGinn's power play goal created a 2-2 tie until Hanzal scored in the final minute of the period.
NOTES: Phoenix D Oliver Ekman-Larsson played in his 100th NHL game. . The two assists by Sharks' Ryane Clowe was his first two point game since Dec.21 against Tampa Bay and his seventh of the season. . Hanzal's goal was first since Dec. 14 at Anaheim. . Gordon picked up three assists, a career high.
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