• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Bryzgalov perfect again as Coyotes silence Avalanche

Feb 8, 2011 - 7:24 AM Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) - Ilya Bryzgalov made 25 saves for his second straight shutout and Radim Vrbata scored two goals, leading the Phoenix Coyotes to a 3-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.

Bryzgalov stopped six shots in the first period, eight in the second and 11 in the third for his fifth shutout of the season and the 21st of his career.

Scottie Upshall scored the other goal for Phoenix, which won back-to-back games to finish 2-1 on a three-game homestand. Bryzgalov made 25 saves in a 1-0 win over Minnesota on Saturday.

"Every game in front of us right now is very important," said Bryzgalov. "We just continue to play hard, play smart and give ourselves the best chance to win the games."

Craig Anderson made 23 saves for Colorado, giving up a goal in each period as the Avalanche dropped their fourth straight, falling to 1-6 in their last seven games overall.

"We're going through a tough sequence right now," Colorado head coach Joe Sacco said. "We just have to find a way to be better, there's no question."

Martin Hanzal set up Vrbata's first goal 3:07 into the opening period to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead.

Gaining the puck on a turnover on the left side, Hanzal skated in on net and flipped a pass to the other side, finding Vrbata behind three defenders for the one-timer.

It remained a one-goal game until Upshall scored with just 2:16 remaining in the second period. Kyle Turris all but whiffed on a shot from the slot, but the puck made it to the right side of the net and Upshall was there to jam it home.

Vrbata cleaned up a loose puck in front of the net on a power play midway through the third period for the final margin. Ray Whitney collected his second assist of the game on the play.

Game Notes

Colorado started a four-game road trip that also includes tests against Minnesota, Columbus and Nashville...Peter Forsberg signed a contract Sunday to return to the Avalanche after nearly 2 1/2 seasons away from the NHL, but is not yet playing with the team.