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Late goal pushes Coyotes past Blue Jackets

Nov 27, 2008 - 4:14 AM By Dave Holstein PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) -- Rookie Viktor Tikhonov scored to snap a tie with 2:32 remaining in the third period as the Phoenix Coyotes ended a six-game winless streak with a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

"It was good to get the win," Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said. "It was a tough trip but now we get to go back home and wear our own uniforms and maybe get some new luck in it."

"This is the third or fourth game we've had like this in our building, where we have out played a team badly and not won," Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We should have won this game. When you outplay a team this badly and don't win it's frustrating to everybody."

Defenseman David Hale and Daniel Carcillo added second-period goals and Mikael Tellqvist made 38 saves for his second win of the season as the Coyotes avoided a winless four-game road trip.

"First of all, our goaltender was absolutely brilliant," Gretzky said. "Then we get some timely goals from guys that don't score a lot that work hard every night and do a real good job for us in the role they play."

A nice pass from behind the net from captain Shane Doan set up Tikhonov, who used a nifty move to slip the puck past Columbus goaltender Steve Mason for his second career goal.

"It was a great play by Doaner," Tikhonov said. "He made an unbelievable no-look pass behind his back and I just did what I had to do and put it in the back of the net."

The goal came minutes after Phoenix successfully killed off a 54-second 5-on-3 power play. Columbus went 0-for-8 with the man advantage in the contest.

"You have a power play 5-on-3 at the end and we've got to get it done," Columbus center Derick Brassard said. "Its unacceptable."

Phoenix entered the game having been outscored, 23-10, in its last six games and fell behind in the first. Columbus opened the scoring at 8:08 of the opening period when Kristian Huselius scored on a wrist shot from between the face off circles, beating Tellqvist between the pads.

Huselius almost had his second goal of the game at 11:30 of the second period but his backhand shot from close range was deflected high off Tellqvist glove, keeping it a one-goal game.

Phoenix tied the game midway though the second period after Hale scored his first career NHL goal at 9:41. Hale ripped a slap shot from the top of the left face off circle that beat Mason low on the glove side, knotting the score at 1-1.

"Getting that first one was terrific and one I will always remember," Hale said. "I just tried to hit is as hard as I could and get it on net and I was fortunate it went in."

The Coyotes took the lead when Carcillo scored his second goal of the season on the power play at 12:16. Carcillo redirected a shot by defenseman Keith Yandle from the left slot to give the Coyotes a 2-1 lead.

Mason made 22 saves and is now 4-2-1 since being called up on November 4. Both of his regulation losses have come against the Coyotes.

"It was a tough loss," Mason said. "I have to be better and make a couple of saves on those goals."

Columbus tied the game, 2-2, early in the third period.

Center R.J. Umberger placed a beautiful backhand pass from the right side to Chimera in the left slot and Chimera tapped the puck into an open net just 60 seconds into the period.

It was a physical first period as Columbus right wing Derek Dorsett suffered an undisclosed injury following a first-period fight with Carcillo. Phoenix veteran center Olli Jokinen suffered an upper body injury in the first period. Neither player returned to the action.