The howls couldn't be any louder for the red-hot Phoenix
Coyotes, who will take the ice tonight versus the Los Angeles Kings in search
of their fifth straight win and a perfect mark on a four-game homestand.
The Coyotes posted their fourth straight win and improved to 3-0 on the
current residency with Thursday's 3-2 overtime victory against the Detroit Red
Wings at Jobing.com Arena. Adrian Aucoin, in his first year with the club,
netted the game-winning goal at 1:57 of the extra session to keep Phoenix
rolling. The Coyotes have won six of their first eight games for just the
third time in team history and the first time since the 2000-01 campaign.
"You just look at the mix of players here, we really have a well-rounded
team...Everyone seems to being doing their role and really well," Aucoin said
on the team's official site.
Petr Prucha sent the game into overtime with a late goal in the third period
and Matthew Lombardi also scored, as Phoenix secured its first four-game win
streak since December 31, 2007-January 8, 2008, when it won five in a row.
Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots in the win.
The Coyotes, who beat Detroit for the second time in the last 13 meetings
(2-9-2), have allowed two or fewer goals in each of the past seven games
and own a 3-1-0 mark as the host.
Los Angeles has won back-to-back games since a three-game losing streak and is
coming off Thursday's 5-4 overtime win versus the Dallas Stars at Staples
Center. Michal Handzus was the hero with the game-winning marker 55 seconds in
the extra session and Anze Kopitar registered his first-career hat trick,
helping the Kings hold on after blowing a 4-1 advantage.
Wayne Simmonds had a goal and an assist, while Dustin Brown and Alexander
Frolov each added a pair of helpers for Los Angeles. Jonathan Quick made 17
saves in the triumph, but was beaten three times on seven shots during the
third period.
"It almost didn't feel great," said Kopitar of his hat trick. "I guess the
most important thing is that we walked away with two points at the end. We
just need to forget the last period of this one and keep moving forward."
The Slovenian Kopitar leads LA with eight goals this season. Meanwhile, Kings
forward Justin Williams missed Thursday's game against Dallas with a lower-
body injury and is questionable for Saturday.
Tonight marks Quick's first game since he signed a three-year contract
extension with the club on Friday. Defenseman Davis Drewiske was also given a
new three-year deal.
Phoenix beat Los Angeles, 6-3, in the season opener for both clubs back on
October 3 at Staples Center, as Radim Vrbata netted a pair of goals to lead
the way. The Coyotes have won 11 of the past 15 matchups in this series.
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