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Khabibulin, Blackhawks topple Coyotes

Nov 19, 2008 - 6:28 AM GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp scored in the first two rounds of the shootout and Nikolai Khabibulin denied both of his shooters as the Chicago Blackhawks recorded a 3-2 triumph over the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday.

Rookie Kris Versteeg and Sharp scored 58 seconds apart in the first period and Khabibulin finished with 36 saves for Chicago, which snapped a three-game losing streak (0-1-2).

Playing in his 900th career game, captain Shane Doan scored and defenseman Zbynek Michalek netted his first goal of the season for Phoenix, which went 2-for-7 with the man advantage.

Ilya Bryzgalov turned aside 38 shots for the Coyotes.

In the shootout, Toews and Sharp used wrist shots to beat Bryzgalov and give Chicago the early advantage.

"We're tired of getting that far and not getting out with the extra point, so I think we got it through our head that we can't be satisfied with just that one point," Toews said. "We've got to be that team that's always hungry, that wants that extra point. We beared down in the shootout and made it happen."

"I came down and got close to the net and thought I might be able to sneak one by him," Sharp said. "I went as low and as hard as I could and it went in."

For his part, Khabibulin denied Kyle Turris in the first round before using a brilliant glove save on Peter Mueller to end the game.

"It was nice to start the road trip with the win," Khabibulin said. "Anytime you start a long road trip with a win, that's a good thing."

"He (Khabibulin) is big in the net every single night he's been in there," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "He's been very effective."

Versteeg opened the scoring with 1:58 remaining in the first period.

As Phoenix attempted to clear the puck, defenseman Ed Jovanovski was injured in the corner. Play was allowed to continue as Patrick Kane stole the puck at center ice and skated in on Bryzgalov. The netminder made the save, but Versteeg cleaned up the rebound for his sixth goal of the season.

Sharp doubled the advantage just 58 seconds later after stealing the puck from Daniel Carcillo and beating Bryzgalov with a wrist shot for his 10th tally of the campaign.

"We played really strong in the last half of the game," Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said. "That first goal put us on our heels. Our player was hurt, wasn't in the play and we got caught a man down."

"We had a mental lapse for about two minutes," Doan said. "Obviously the first one, you're a little upset with the way it happened."

With one second remaining on a power play just 6:08 into the second period, Michalek halved the deficit by beating Khabibulin between the pads for his first goal since March 6 of last season.

"(Defenseman Keith Yandle) gave me a perfect pass and I was trying to do was hit the net and it went in," Michalek said. "There was a good screen and that's all we need."

Doan leveled the contest at 5:56 in the third period after accepting a feed from Peter Mueller in the left faceoff circle and beating Khabibulin for his 10th goal of the season.