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Tellqvist, Sjostrom lead Coyotes past Devils

Dec 16, 2007 - 1:17 AM By Daren Smith PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NEWARK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The Phoenix Coyotes are ready for prime time - in Sweden.

Mikael Tellqvist made 31 saves in his first start in five weeks and fellow Swede Fredrik Sjostrom collected two goals and an assist as the Coyotes snapped the New Jersey Devils' five-game home winning streak with a 4-1 victory on Saturday.

Tellqvist had not started since November 8, making only two appearances off the bench following the acquisition of netminder Ilya Bryzgalov. He showed no signs of rust against the top team in the Atlantic Division, coming within six minutes of his fifth career shutout.

"I felt a little stiff at the beginning, but I got a couple of easy saves at the start and the guys came up big in the second and third (periods) for us," Tellqvist said. "I kind of worked myself into the game."

The former third-round draft pick was at his best during a power play for New Jersey with seven minutes to go in the second period, denying Brian Gionta from point-blank range, foiling Patrik Elias on the rebound and stopping captain Jamie Langenbrunner's one-time blast from just below the left point.

That flurry came a minute after Tellqvist's most spectacular save.

John Madden carried down the right side, deked around defenseman Derek Morris and cut to the net, where Tellqvist stacked his pads to stop a quick snap shot.

"I didn't really feel any pressure at all," Tellqvist said. "I tried to have as much fun as possible. The first save was key for me."

Tellqvist's performance came in a game that was televised to a prime-time audience in his homeland.

"I talked to my mom and dad last night, and they told me (the game would be televised)," Tellqvist said. "It was a pretty good time, too, 7 o'clock. And Freddie scored two goals. I guess we should show all our games back to Sweden."

"All the buddies sitting home watching, it was definitely a lot of fun to have a game like that," added Sjostrom, who returned from a lower back injury suffered in the second period.

Rookie Martin Hanzal scored a clinching shorthanded goal and added three assists, while linemate Radim Vrbata chipped in a tally and two assists as the Coyotes improved to 2-1-0 on a six-game road trip.

"This is a big trip for us because we have tough teams to play against," Vrbata said. "We wanted to make sure we bounced back (from Thursday's loss to the New York Islanders)."

Zach Parise's shorthanded tally averted the shutout for New Jersey, which is 1-2-1 following a nine-game winning streak.

"We didn't work hard enough for the win, there's no way around that," Parise said. "That makes it more frustrating, when the effort's not there."

Devils coach Brent Sutter echoed that theme after his team was forced to kill nine power plays.

"The difference was, one team came to the rink to play a hockey game and the other team came to the rink to see what time their reservations for supper were going to be tonight," he said.

Following a scoreless first period, Sjostrom got the Coyotes going on their initial shot of the second. Hanzal had the puck down low and backhanded a pass through the slot to a breaking Sjostrom, whose one-timer from the left faceoff circle trickled past goaltender Martin Brodeur.

Vrbata made it 2-0 at 5:19 of the third, threading a tight-angle shot from the left side between Brodeur's right arm and the near goalpost for his team-leading 12th goal.

Sjostrom struck again less than four minutes later. Helped to the locker room after crashing hard into the end boards in the second period, he added a power-play goal to build a 3-0 cushion.

Parise jammed a loose puck past Tellqvist with six minutes to play, but the Devils' comeback hopes were dashed when Hanzal beat Brodeur on a shorthanded breakaway off a feed from Vrbata with 2:50 remaining.

"I'll take that (injury) any day to get a win like that," Sjostrom said.

Brodeur stopped 34 shots for New Jersey, which has lost three straight against Phoenix since February 12, 2003.