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Coyotes bottle up Lightning

Fri 9th, January 2009

Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) - Kyle Turris notched the game-winning goal in the third period as Phoenix nipped Tampa Bay, 3-2.

Olli Jokinen and Peter Mueller provided the other scores for the Coyotes, who halted a two-game losing streak and won for the third time in five contests.

Ilya Bryzgalov made 22 saves for the win, snapping a personal three-game losing skid and upping his record to 14-13-4 this season.

"I thought our guys worked pretty hard, did a lot of little things well," said Phoenix head coach Wayne Gretzky. "They played extremely unselfish tonight as a group."

Andrej Meszaros and Jeff Halpern tallied for the Lightning, who have lost four of their last five games. Mike Smith played well in defeat, stopping 24-of-27 shots.

Turris put Phoenix ahead by one, when he deflected a point shot from David Hale at the 8:09 mark of the third period.

"It was a great shot by Hale, perfect height," Turris noted. "The goalie stood up because he didn't want to go down on it, and I was lucky enough to get a stick on it."

The Lightning never seriously threatened the rest of the way, and persistent Coyotes forechecking and puck possession didn't allow Smith to the bench for an extra attacker until 34 seconds remained.

Tampa got the game's first score as Meszaros earned his first of the year 8:36 into the contest, then Jokinen countered for Phoenix at 12:17.

The second period began well for the home team, as Mueller hit the net on a Coyotes power play 46 seconds into the frame, but Halpern added his tally with the extra skater at 14:43 for a 2-2 deadlock heading to the final 20 minutes.

Game Notes

Phoenix snapped a six-game losing streak to Tampa Bay dating back to January, 2002...The Coyotes' last home win over the Lightning came on December 14, 2000 in a 3-2 decision...The clubs had not met since a 5-3 Lightning win in Tampa on February 13, 2007.