GLENDALE, Ariz. — Mike Smith stopped 39 shots through overtime and two more during a shootout, Ray Whitney scored in the third period, and the Phoenix Coyotes extended their point streak to 12 games by beating the NHL-leading Vancouver Canucks 2-1 on Tuesday night.
“That was a heck of a month by any team’s standards and we had to earn them both home and on the road,” Whitney said. “We beat some quality teams.”
Smith has been superb during the streak and was spectacular at times against the Canucks, allowing a goal on a carom in the first period and nothing else. He also stopped Alexander Edler and Mason Raymond in the shootout to extend his career-best and franchise-record winning streak to 11 games.
Whitney has continued to produce big goals and spectacular plays at 39, getting the tying goal in the third and another in the shootout. Mikkel Boedker provided the perfect capper, beating Vancouver’s Cory Schneider with a nifty move in the shootout to seal Phoenix’s sixth consecutive victory.
Sitting 12th in the Western Conference at the start of the month, the Coyotes moved into the Pacific Division lead with a nearly-perfect February, earning 23 of a possible 24 points and winning seven straight home games.
“Obviously, we’ve done some good things,” Smith said. “I think we’ve improved, and this month has been good for us. We’ve moved up the standings drastically and we just have to keep pushing, keep going forward.”
Vancouver played well in the finale of a six-game road trip, getting a first-period goal from Edler and a superb game from Schneider, who stopped 34 shots. The Canucks just couldn’t finish it off, walking off with one point instead of two after Smith stopped Raymond’s spinning attempt, and Schneider allowed two goals on three shots.
