GAME THREAD: NHL: PHOENIX (14-16) at NY RANGERS (16-15)

NHL: PHOENIX at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">------------------------------------
Phoenix 1 4 0 --5
Ny Rangers 0 0 1 --1
------------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Phoenix, Joel Perrault 1 (power play) (Mike
York, Ed Jovanovski), 3:11. Penalties: Z Michalek, Pho (holding),
0:25; B Dubinsky, Nyr (tripping), 2:16; M Hanzal, Pho (holding),
15:04.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Phoenix, Daniel Carcillo 5 (Joel Perrault,
Daniel Winnik), 2:14. 3, Phoenix, Radim Vrbata 13 (Niko Kapanen,
Mathias Tjarnqvist), 3:30. 4, Phoenix, Fredrik Sjostrom 8 (Keith
Ballard, Radim Vrbata), 12:34. 5, Phoenix, Joel Perrault 2 (power
play) (Shane Doan, Ed Jovanovski), 18:46. Penalties: P Mara, Nyr
(tripping), 9:51; S Gomez, Nyr (slashing), 18:06.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 6, Ny Rangers, Dan Girardi 5 (power play)
(Scott Gomez, Chris Drury), 11:27. Penalties: P Mueller, Pho
(holding), 9:54; J Jagr, Nyr (holding), 12:10.

Shots on goal:
---------------------------------------
Phoenix 10 11 5 --26
Ny Rangers 11 8 16 --35
---------------------------------------

Power-play Conversions: Phoenix - 2 of 4, Ny Rangers - 1 of 3. Goalies
: Phoenix, Ilja Bryzgalov (35 shots, 34 saves; record: 9-9-1). Ny
Rangers, Stephen Valiquette (26 shots, 21 saves; record: 1-2-1). A:
18,200. Referees: Chris Lee, Dan O'Rourke. Linesmen: Jonny Murray,
Pierre Racicot.</div>

 

NHL: PHOENIX at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">-----------------------------------------
PHOENIX 1 4 0 --5
NY RANGERS 0 0 1 --1
-----------------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Phoenix, Joel Perrault 1 (power play) (Mike
York, Ed Jovanovski), 3:11. Penalties: Z Michalek, Pho (holding),
0:25; B Dubinsky, Nyr (tripping), 2:16; M Hanzal, Pho (holding),
15:04.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Phoenix, Daniel Carcillo 5 (Joel Perrault,
Daniel Winnik), 2:14. 3, Phoenix, Radim Vrbata 13 (Niko Kapanen,
Mathias Tjarnqvist), 3:30. 4, Phoenix, Fredrik Sjostrom 8 (Keith
Ballard, Radim Vrbata), 12:34. 5, Phoenix, Joel Perrault 2 (power
play) (Shane Doan, Ed Jovanovski), 18:46. Penalties: P Mara, Nyr
(tripping), 9:51; S Gomez, Nyr (slashing), 18:06.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 6, Ny Rangers, Dan Girardi 5 (power play)
(Scott Gomez, Chris Drury), 11:27. Penalties: P Mueller, Pho
(holding), 9:54; J Jagr, Nyr (holding), 12:10.

Shots on goal:
----------------------------------------
PHOENIX 10 11 5 --26
NY RANGERS 11 8 16 --35
----------------------------------------

Power-play Conversions: PHO - 2 of 4, NYR - 1 of 3. Goalies : Phoenix,
Ilja Bryzgalov (35 shots, 34 saves; record: 9-9-1). Ny Rangers,
Stephen Valiquette (26 shots, 21 saves; record: 1-2-1). A: 18,200.
Referees: Chris Lee, Dan O'Rourke. Linesmen: Jonny Murray, Pierre
Racicot.

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS

PHOENIX NY RANGERS
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
M Hanzal 0 0 +1 3 B Shanahan 0 0 -1 3
D Carcillo 1 0 +1 2 B Betts 0 0 even 1
M York 0 1 even 1 B Dubinsky 0 0 -1 3
R Vrbata 1 1 +2 2 M Staal 0 0 -1 0
S Doan 0 1 even 0 S Gomez 0 1 -1 4
K Ballard 0 1 +2 2 C Drury 0 1 -1 2
F Sjostrom 1 0 +1 3 P Prucha 0 0 -1 1
M Tjarnqvist 0 1 +1 0 P Mara 0 0 -1 0
S Reinprecht 0 0 even 1 C Orr 0 0 even 0
K Yandle 0 0 +1 1 M Rozsival 0 0 -1 2
D Winnik 0 1 +1 0 J Strudwick 0 0 even 0
N Kapanen 0 1 +1 0 G Moore 0 0 -1 3
Z Michalek 0 0 even 3 D Girardi 1 0 -1 3
J Perrault 2 1 +1 4 F Tyutin 0 0 -1 7
N Boynton 0 0 +1 1 J Jagr 0 0 -1 4
D Morris 0 0 +2 0 M Malik 0 0 -1 1
E Jovanovski 0 2 even 0 M Straka 0 0 -1 1
P Mueller 0 0 even 3 N Dawes 0 0 -1 0
M Zigomanis HEALTHY M Hossa FLU
C Weller HEALTHY R Hollweg HEALTHY
M Jones HEALTHY</div>

 

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Wayne Gretzky's first visit to MadisonSquare Garden as a coach was not as dramatic as the final gameof his playing career, but he still had to like what he saw fromhis young team.


Joel Perrault scored a pair of a power-play goals and IlyaBryzgalov made 32 saves as the Coyotes scored four goals in thesecond period and made Gretzky's return a successful one with a5-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday.


In his second game since being recalled from the minors onFriday, Perrault started and finished Phoenix's most lopsidedvictory of the season. He scored on the power play just 3:11into the contest and finished the barrage with 1:14 remaining inthe second.


The best game of Perrault's career came after he scored 13 goalsin 27 games for San Antonio of the American Hockey League.

"You wish that (you could) score one or two goals every game butsometimes it's not happening," Perrault said. "I got goodconfidence. I was playing good down there (San Antonio) andthey called me up. They played me a lot last night and I waspretty happy the way I played the first game for the first gameback and it's just a good feeling.


"He's been probably the best player down there," Gretzky said."He worked on his skating. He's a much better skater than hewas this time last year and he's playing well - good for him."

In between goals by Perrault, Phoenix scored twice in the first3:30 of the second as rookie Daniel Carcillo and Radim Vrbatatallied 76 seconds apart. Fredrik Sjostrom, who scored twiceSaturday in New Jersey, made it 4-0 with 8:26 remaining.

It was the first career two-goal game for Perrault, who had justtwo career goals in his first 32 games in the NHL and nonesince October 6, 2006. The 24-year-old center also recorded hisfirst three-point game when he set up Carcillo's goal.

Gretzky's last appearance in this building as a participant inan NHL game was the final game of his career on April 18, 1999against the Pittsburgh's Penguins when he concluded histhree-year stint with the Rangers. He recorded his NHL-record2,857th point on a second-period assist and afterwards skatedlaps around the ice to a standing ovation.


"It's just a special place," Gretzky said. "I was telling theguys before the game, the atmosphere here is one of the bestyou're ever going to see. I had three great years here and itwas nice to come back tonight."


Due to the NHL's new scheduling format following the lockout,Pacific Division teams had yet to visit Atlantic Divisionbuildings until this season and Gretzky's third behind thebench.


After opening their trip through the New York-area withThursday's 3-2 loss to the New York Islanders, the Coyotesrolled to a 4-1 victory Saturday afternoon against the NewJersey Devils and kept it going in their first visit here sinceOctober 28, 2002.


"We're a young group," Gretzky said. "We play hard every night.I thought we played pretty hard against the Islanders but lost atough game and then played a really hard game yesterday andthen hard again today. We show up to play hard every night."

"It's good," Perrault added. "It's two big road wins againstteams we don't see too often. It's always good to get wins onthe road."


Bryzgalov did not play Saturday but picked up where backupMikael Tellqvist left off. He made 11 saves in the firstperiod, including five on an early New York power play, eight inthe second, but lost the shutout bid with 8:33 remaining whenhe allowed a power-play goal to Rangers defensemen Dan Girardi.

"It's a great game," Bryzgalov said. "We played great hockey.The key was tonight we don't give up a goal in the first periodwhen they got a couple of quality scoring chances.

"We scored the first goal and in the second period it was timeto play our game, forecheck, put the puck deep and scorepower-play goals and a couple of goals on the rebound and Ithink that's the key."


The Rangers went 1-for-3 on the power play and were scoreless intheir last 13 chances before Girardi's goal. They also fell to1-4-1 in their last six contests, were blanked for the fifthtime this season and lost by at least four goals for the thirdtime in the last two weeks resulting in boos from much of thesellout crowd.


"Anytime you lose like that at home in front of your fans, youbet it's embarrassing," New York center Scott Gomez said. "Thefans had every right to boo us."


Stephen Valiquette made his third start of the season and fourthoverall appearance. While he did allow five goals, he was alsovictimized by his own teammates' mistakes as the first goalwent off defenseman Fedor Tyutin's right skate and the next twowere caused by turnovers behind New York's net.


"The second period obviously lost us the game," Valiquette said."On the first three, I would say they were team goals and thelast two I should have had."


Perrault opened the scoring when he positioned himself to theleft of the net and took a pass from Mike York. He appeared toattempt a centering pass to Peter Mueller but the puck went offTyutin's skate.


Carcillo scored his fifth moments after Rangers defenseman MarcStaal lost the puck behind the net. After getting the pass fromPerrault, he buried a wrister from the slot.


Vrbata also capitalized on a turnover this time by New Yorkdefenseman Michal Rozsival. Sjostrom added to the barrage bymaking a drop pass to defenseman Keith Ballard, going to the netand putting home the rebound.


Perrault capped it by taking a pass from captain Shane Doan anddepositing a wrister from the slot over Valiquette.