Log In | Register
GLENDALE — Lauri Korpikoski scored two goals to lead the Phoenix Coyotes to a 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.
Down by two goals late, the Sharks' Patrick Marleau scored with 32 seconds left, but the Coyotes' Radim Vrbata scored at 19:59 into an empty net.
With one of the worst home records in the league, Phoenix's picked up its 11th win at home this season (26 points). Only Montreal and Columbus have less points at home.
The loss snapped a three-game losing streak by San Jose. Phoenix won for the second time in its last six games.
In the middle period, the Coyotes picked up three goals on six shots to take a one goal lead into the final session. Late in the second period, Martin Hanzal picked up the game winner.
Taking a pass from Ray Whitney in the left face-off circle, Hanzal drove the puck into the upper-left corner of the net for his sixth of the season with 46 seconds left in the second period.
The goal was Hanzal's first in nearly two months. His missed 12 games due to an upper body injury.
Coming into the game, the Sharks allowed two goals in their last three games and the defense continued to shut down the opposition.
In the first 11 minutes of the game, the Sharks' defense limited Phoenix to two shots on Antti Niemi.
The Sharks struck first less than 4 minutes into the second period, but the Coyotes responded 32 seconds later.
First, Logan Couture's shot from outside the crease trickled off goalie Mike Smith pads and into the net for his 22nd of the season.
Raffi Torres drilled a 30-foot slap shot from the slot past Niemi at 4:16 to knot the score at 1-1.
Phoenix then surged ahead, when Korpikoski's shot from the slot ripped past Niemi midway through the second session. Korpikoski added his second of the game when he converted a pass from Boyd Gordon in front of the net at 8:03 left in the game.
Jamie McGinn's power-play goal created a 2-2 tie until Hanzal scored in the final minute of the period.
NOTES: Phoenix D Oliver Ekman-Larsson played in his 100th NHL game. . The two assists by Sharks' Ryane Clowe was his first two point game since Dec.21 against Tampa Bay and his seventh of the season. . Hanzal's goal was first since Dec. 14 at Anaheim. . Gordon picked up three assists, a career high.
