Vrbata scores in shootout, gives Coyotes win over Blackhawks

Vrbata’s SO goal lifts Coyotes over Blackhawks

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Radim Vrbata scored the lone goal of the shootout and the Phoenix Coyotes rallied to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 on Saturday night for their eighth straight win.

Antti Niemi stopped attempts by Wojtek Wolski and Lauri Korpikoski before Vrbata scored on a backhand shot that lifted the water bottle off the top of the net.

Ilya Bryzgalov saved shots by Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp in succession for his 39th win of the season.

Lee Stempniak scored twice and Wolski also had a goal for the Coyotes, who moved within one point of San Jose for the Pacific Division lead and two points of the Blackhawks for the Western Conference’s best record.

The Coyotes’ winning streak is one short of the franchise record and matches the team’s eight-game streak from Nov. 6-Dec. 2, 1999.

Andrew Ladd and Sharp scored 73 seconds apart early in the third period, Troy Brouwer and Kane also scored, and Marian Hossa had a pair of assists for the Blackhawks, who lost for the fourth time in five games. Two losses came after regulation.

The Blackhawks were playing without defenseman Brent Seabrook, who missed his second game with an upper body injury sustained when he was leveled by Anaheim’s James Wisniewski on Wednesday. Wisniewski was given an eight-game suspension by the NHL for the hit.

Ladd snapped a 2-2 tie with 17:27 remaining on a knuckling shot from the top of the right circle. Sharp made it 4-2 from between the circles.

Stempniak scored on a rebound with 13:07 to go for his ninth goal in eight games since he was acquired by the Coyotes at the trade deadline to cut the lead to 4-3.

Brouwer scored from the doorstep at 11:52 of the first to open the scoring.

Kane was left alone in the right circle during a second-period power play, took a cross-ice pass from Hossa, and beat Bryzgalov for a power-play goal that made it 2-0 at 5:11.

Wolski made it 2-1 at 9:20, backhanding the puck toward the net as he was pestered by a pair of defenders. The puck bounced off Shane Doan’s skate to the top of the crease where Wolski swooped in and beat Niemi with a wrist shot.

Stempniak tied it with a power-play goal 1:11 into the third. He stood at the top of the crease and redirected Adrian Aucoin’s shot from the point past Niemi.

NOTES: Stempniak has three two-goal games since coming to Phoenix. The game was played in front of a season-high crowd of 17,534, besting the attendance from opening night by two. Kane’s goal was his first since March 2, a span of nine games.