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Coyotes sink Stars, Lehtonen hurt

Nov 27, 2011 - 5:18 AM Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) - Mike Smith stopped 26 shots for his second shutout of the season as Phoenix dumped Dallas, 3-0.

Ray Whitney, Mikkel Boedker and Taylor Pyatt each scored for the Coyotes, who were coming off a 5-0 loss against Vancouver on Friday.

"We've lost games in the last minute several times this year and to get a shutout tonight was big for us," said Smith.

Andrew Raycroft was charged with all three goals on 36 shots in relief mode for the Stars, who have dropped two straight and seven of nine.

Starter Kari Lehtonen left 5 1/2 minutes into the game with a lower-body injury when he stopped a shot by Derek Morris and went down.

"We're all concerned for him, he's played great for us this year," said Raycroft about Lehtonen. "But that's hockey and that's the way it goes and we'll see where he's at, there's still a lot of time left this season."

The first goal of the game came with 4:55 to play in the opening period, when Keith Yandle blasted a shot from the high point and Boedker slammed home the rebound.

At the 6:02 mark of the second, Phoenix made it a 2-0 game on a give-and-go, as Whitney brought the puck in down the left wing and left a drop pass for Radim Vrbata, who immediately sent it back down for a one-timer by Whitney.

Halfway through the third, the Coyotes took a 3-0 lead when Pyatt stuffed in a rebound that got behind Raycroft.

Game Notes

In addition to Lehtonen, Dallas lost defenseman Trevor Daley to an upper body injury and forward Vernon Fiddler with a lower body injury. Earlier on Saturday, the Stars placed left wing Brenden Morrow on injured reserve with an upper body injury...Smith has 13 shutouts in his career...Dallas had won the previous two meetings with Phoenix this season.