Coyotes 2 - 1 Oilers
Final
  for this game

Coyotes, Oilers clash in Edmonton

Nov 16, 2014 - 4:01 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Arizona Coyotes hope to build off a decisive victory when they complete a three-game road trip Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Coyotes had lost three in a row before slamming the Vancouver Canucks by a 5-0 score on Friday. It was Arizona's third victory in nine road games (3-5-1) this season.

Arizona began its three-game tour of Western Canada with Thursday's 5-3 setback in Calgary, but rebounded with a lopsided win the following night in British Columbia. The Coyotes held a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes and then scored three times in the second period to take a stranglehold on the game.

Martin Hanzal notched a hat trick and Devan Dubnyk posted a 35-save shutout to help Arizona notch the five-goal win. Keith Yandle added a goal and two assists while Shane Doan also lit the lamp for the Coyotes.

"We played a solid road game," said Coyotes coach Dave Tippett. "After not playing very well last night, I liked how we played tonight. It's a positive sign. We've been waiting for some breaks and we got a few tonight."

The Coyotes have won three of their last four on the road after losing its first five away games of the season. Arizona is 3-5-1 as the guest in 2014-15.

Dubnyk is 3-0-1 this season with a 2.54 goals against average, while No. 1 backstop Mike Smith has struggled to a 4-9-0 record and a 3.43 GAA in 13 games.

Smith boasts a 9-1-1 record and 2.70 GAA in 13 career appearances against the Oilers. Dubnyk was a first-round draft pick by Edmonton in 2004 and remained with the organization until getting dealt to Nashville last season. He has yet to face his former club.

Arizona is hoping the goals come as easy tonight as they did when the Oilers visited the desert on Oct. 15. The Coyotes won that contest 7-4, posting a season-high in goals behind a hat trick from Mikkel Boedker. It marked the club's first seven-goal performance since winning 7-4 in Nashville on March 28, 2013.

Last month's victory continued the Coyotes' recent domination of the Oilers. Arizona has won six of seven and 16 of the past 20 overall encounters in this series and Edmonton has dropped three straight and eight of nine meetings on home ice.

The Oilers enter Sunday's clash having lost two straight and six of their last eight games. However, they were able to earn a point from the most recent setback after losing a 4-3 overtime decision in Thursday's home test versus Ottawa.

Edmonton fell behind 3-0 in the first period against the Senators, but slowly clawed its way back into the game before Mike Hoffman won it for Ottawa at the 2:39 mark of OT.

The Oilers battled back with a goal in the second period and a pair in the third. They also had a power play late in regulation, but couldn't convert.

On the game-winner, Hoffman buried a wrist shot from the high slot.

"You can't spot teams three-goal leads in this league and expect to battle back," said Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins. "We can't make it a common occurrence."

Edmonton hopes to halt a three-game slide on home ice when it plays the second part of a five-game stay at Rexall Place. The Oilers are 4-4-1 as the host this season.






Related News