Upshall scores third-period hat trick and Coyotes beat Predators 4-2

Upshall leads Coyotes past Predators 4-2

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Scottie Upshall scored three goals in the third period and the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 Thursday night.

Matthew Lombardi had a goal and an assist, Shane Doan added three assists and Ilya Bryzgalov made 41 saves for the Coyotes, who moved two points ahead of the Predators for fourth place in the Western Conference.

Upshall tied the game 2-2 with 15:58 remaining, sweeping the puck past Dan Ellis from the middle of the left faceoff circle off a pass from Doan.

He made it 3-2 when he scored off a rebound of his own shot from the top left of the crease with 6:38 left and completed his first career hat trick 65 seconds later, taking a long outlet pass from Martin Hanzal and outracing the defense for the breakaway goal.

Patric Hornqvist and Martin Erat scored 40 seconds apart late in the second period for the Predators, who have lost two straight.

After managing only three shots on goal in the first period, the Coyotes took a 1-0 lead at 2:49 of the second period when Lombardi took a back pass from Doan and beat Ellis on a wrist shot from between the circles.

Hornqvist scored his team-leading 20th goal at 13:59, bouncing the puck off Bryzgalov’s right leg from behind the net to tie the game at 1-1.

Erat gave the Predators a 2-1 lead on the next shift, taking control of the puck after Ed Jovanovski mishandled a pass from his defensive partner Zbynek Michalek to the right of the net and beating Bryzgalov on a wrist shot from the left doorstep.

NOTES: Upshall’s last goal gave him a career-high 17 on the season. Phoenix ended its season long six-game homestand 3-2-1. Hornqvist has three goals and an assist in his last four games. Upshall’s goal was his first since December 31. The announced attendance was 9,142 though the actual crowd appeared to be a bit smaller due to severe storms in the Phoenix area that delivered torrential rain and wind gusts approaching 50 MPH.