Smith, Coyotes blank reeling Blackhawks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Mike Smith stood tall between the pipes, 0 victory over the struggling Chicago Blackhawks Saturday night.
Smith recorded his third shutout of the season for the Coyotes, who pushed their winning streak to a season-high five games.
"My teammates did a great job in front of me tonight," Smith said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Chicago is trending in the opposite direction. The Blackhawks suffered their eighth consecutive loss and 10th straight on the road. They fell to 0-5-1 on a season-long nine-game road swing.
"We need something to give in and make us feel good about ourselves," said Chicago captain Jonathan Toews.
Ray Emery stopped 24 shots in defeat.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Radim Vrbata opened the scoring 3:14 into the contest with his team-leading 26th goal of the season.
Vrbata gathered a loose puck in the Chicago zone after a failed clearing attempt and accepted Ray Whitney's return feed. The crafty winger skated behind the enemy cage and sent a wraparound that Blackhawks defenseman Sami Lepisto directed into his own net.
Boyd Gordon doubled the Coyotes' advantage 2:44 later. Gilbert Brule missed the net on a one-timer, but the puck slid right to Gordon and he scored from the right side of the net.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Brule also picked up the primary assist on Kyle Chipchura's tally at the 12:59 mark of the middle stanza.
Smith posted 16 saves in the third period to preserve his 14th career shutout.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The Coyotes inducted former alternate captain Jeremy Roenick into the team's Ring of Honor in a pre-game ceremony on Saturday night...Whitney has two goals and 10 assists during an eight-game point streak...Phoenix earned its fourth consecutive win at home...The Coyotes won the season series, 3-1.