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Whitney's hat trick, five points lead Coyotes past Blues

Nov 14, 2010 - 6:29 AM Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) - Ray Whitney posted the hat trick and recorded a season-high five points as Phoenix got past St. Louis, 5-3.

Radim Vrbata added a goal and two assists while Martin Hanzal also lit the lamp for the Coyotes, who have won three straight games.

Ilya Bryzgalov was solid for the win, making 35 saves.

"We're a team right now that is finding ways to win," said Phoenix head coach Dave Tippett. "Our power play came through for us tonight with a big game. Points at home are always a good thing."

Andy McDonald scored a goal and picked up a pair of helpers for the Blues, who have dropped three in a row.

David Backes and Brad Boyes also tallied, but Ty Conklin was dented for four goals on only 26 shots in defeat.

"We're a team that thrives on team defense," said McDonald. "We can't allow a team to have as many quality chances as they did tonight."

In the second period, Whitney's first goal of the year put Phoenix on top by a 2-1 count. The goal happened by accident, as an attempted clearing pass by Blues defenseman Nicholas Drazenovic was redirected into the net. Backes responded for St. Louis on a power play at 7:52.

The Coyotes tacked on two more, as Whitney struck on the power play after the midway point of the stanza on a shot that trickled through Conklin's pads, and Hanzal's marker while the Coyotes had the advantage at 15:03 made it a two- goal game.

Boyes brought the Blues to 4-3 with 1:48 left in regulation, and though Conklin was pulled for an extra skater with 1:27 to go, Whitney sealed the win and capped his big night by hitting the empty net with 24 seconds to play.

Vrbata's power-play score -- a tip-in from a Keith Yandle offering -- a little more than five minutes into the contest put the Coyotes on the board. McDonald countered at even strength on a backhander for the Blues at the 14:10 mark.

Game Notes

Whitney's last trifecta came on March 6, 2009 in a 6-1 Carolina win over Calgary. His last five-point night occurred on February 8, 2007 -- also a three-goal, two-assist game -- as Carolina beat Boston, 5-2...After Vernon Fiddler's hat trick in Friday's game with Calgary, it marked the second time since the team moved to Phoenix and the fourth time in Jets/Coyotes franchise lore that the club has seen back-to-back three-goal efforts...Jeremy Roenick was the last player to do so, scoring three on consecutive nights on November 25-26, 1999 against New Jersey and Colorado. Ed Olczyk and Teemu Selanne turned the trick on December 12-15, 1995 to Montreal and Edmonton, and Selanne also notched two straight hat tricks on February 28-March 2, 1993 against Minnesota and Quebec...Vrbata's power-play goal snapped the Blues' streak of 22 straight penalties killed...Attendance was a sparse 9,412.