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Coyotes edge Leafs in shootout

Nov 16, 2011 - 4:48 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Patrick O'Sullivan scored the game-winning goal in the first round of the shootout, sending the Phoenix Coyotes to a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs from Air Canada Centre.

Radim Vrbata followed O'Sullivan's wrister by skating in slowly and making one deke before backhanding the puck past Ben Scrivens to seal the extra point.

Shane Doan and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored in regulation and Mike Smith made 35 saves for the Coyotes, who have won three of their last four games.

"It was a turnover-fest that turned into a good game," Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett said. "We came here, we got two points and now it's time to move on."

Mike Komisarek and Phil Kessel lit the lamp and Scrivens made 33 saves in a losing effort for the Leafs, who have dropped four of their last five contests.

Phoenix wasted no time jumping out in front, scoring the first goal of the game just 1:54 into the opening period. Mikkel Boedker picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and raced down the left wing on a 2-on-1 with Doan. Boedker slowed down at the left circle and dished to Doan, who fired a quick wrist shot from the slot past the glove hand of Scrivens for a 1-0 lead.

The Coyotes extended their lead to 2-0 at 5:18 of the first period when Ekman- Larsson accepted a pass from Kyle Chipchura and fired a shot from the left point that got through traffic in front and past Scrivens.

After a scoreless second stanza, the Maple Leafs cut it to a one-goal game at 2:08 of the third period with some good forechecking work behind the net. Matthew Lombardi picked up the loose disc behind the net, warded off his defender and feathered a pass for Komisarek sneaking in from the point and the big defenseman chipped it past Smith from the slot to make it 2-1.

The Leafs tied it up on the power play at 4:41 when Nikolai Kulemin brought the puck into the offensive zone on the right wing and fired a wrist shot that was kicked out by the right pad of Smith, but the netminder left a huge rebound and Kessel was there to fire it into the net from the left circle.

Game Notes

Tuesday marked the only meeting of the season between the teams...Phoenix took a 5-1 decision the last time the teams met, January 13, 2011...It was Komisarek's first goal in his last 88 games...The Coyotes improved to 8-0-3 when scoring first and 9-0-0 when leading after two periods of play...Toronto went 1-for-2 with the man advantage, while the Coyotes were 0-for-2 on the power play...The Maples Leafs will travel to Nashville to face the Predators on Thursday, while the Coyotes will head to Philadelphia to battle the Flyers, also on Thursday.