Canucks 1 - 2 Coyotes
Final - 2OT
  for this game

Phoenix stays hot against Vancouver

Feb 29, 2012 - 5:35 AM Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) - Ray Whitney scored the game-tying goal in the third period and netted the deciding goal in the shootout to lift the Phoenix Coyotes over the Vancouver Canucks, 2-1, on Tuesday.

Whitney opened the shootout with a wrister over the left shoulder of Cory Schneider, and after Alexander Edler, Radim Vrbata and Mason Raymond were each denied, Mikkel Boedker sealed the win for the Coyotes by faking right before deking left and beating Schneider to the stick side.

Mike Smith stopped 39-of-40 shots for Phoenix, which extended its point streak to 12 straight games (11-0-1). Smith extended his personal win streak to a career-high 11 games, which is also a franchise record.

"Their skill level and the pace that they play at is very high," Whitney said about Vancouver. "We can't emphasize enough that the guy in net was the key again for us today."

Alexander Edler scored and Schneider made 34 saves for the Canucks, who have dropped two straight but suffered just one regulation loss in their last 18 games, going 12-1-5 over that span.

Vancouver struck first, taking advantage of a late power-play opportunity in the first period.

After winning the faceoff, the Canucks worked the puck around the zone to Edler at the right boards, where he sent a shot towards the net that deflected off two Coyotes -- defenseman Adrian Aucoin and center Daymond Langkow -- before finding its way into the far side with 5:04 left in the frame.

Neither team tallied a goal in a scoreless second period and the Coyotes were able to knot the game at one near the midpoint of the third. Keith Yandle took a slap shot from center ice that was saved by Schneider, but Whitney raced in to backhand the big rebound through the goaltender's legs at the 9:43 mark.

Smith stopped eight shots in the second period, 15 in the third and five in the extra period to necessitate the shootout. Schneider did not face a shot on net in overtime.

Game Notes

Whitney has seven points over his last six games (3G, 4A)...Vancouver went 1- for-3 on the power play, while Phoenix was 0-for-4 on the man advantage...Phoenix hosts Calgary on Thursday for the middle tilt of a three- game homestand...The Canucks finished a six-game road trip with a 3-1-2 record.






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