Make it nine in a row as the Phoenix Coyotes have extended their impressive winning streak with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Dallas Stars on Sunday night.
The Coyotes jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to power play goals from Petr Prucha and Radim Vrbata.
The Stars would fight back as Jamie Benn put Dallas within one at 3:45 of the second period. Then in the third, Loui Erikkson scored his 26th of the year to tie things up at two.
The game went to overtime and then a shootout. Dallas center Brad Richards was the first shooter for the Stars and he put one past Jason LaBarbera who was filling in for Ilya Bryzgalov. The next two Dallas shooters were unable to score.
Neither of the first two shooters for Phoenix were able to score on Marty Turco. It was all up to the Coyotes' third shooter, Radim Vrbata as he backhanded one past Turco to extend the shootout.
The fourth round of the shootout was where it all ended as Stars center Steve Ott was denied by LaBarbera, while Adrian Aucoin was able to score for the Coyotes and extend the winning streak to nine games.
The Coyotes improved to 12-4 in shootouts this season and have won eight straight tiebreakers, five during the nine game streak.
At nine games, the Coyotes streak ties the franchise record for the most consecutive wins. The previous record was held by the Winnipeg Jets who also won nine in a row from March 8-27, 1985.
The nine wins set a team record, as the previous record was an eight game winning streak set by the Coyotes in 1999.
While one streak was extended, one did come to an end.
Lee Stempniak's eight game point streak came to an end as he was unable to register a point against the Stars.
Since joining Phoenix on March 3rd, Stempniak had nine goals and two assists for 11 points. He was the first player in franchise history to record a point in each of his first eight games with the team.
For the Coyotes, in addition to getting into record setting territory, they put themselves in an unfamiliar position. First place.
The win, in addition to San Jose's 5-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, gives the Coyotes sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division.
Coming into the day, the Coyotes were fourth in the Western Conference. As leaders of the Pacific Division, they leap frog third place Vancouver Canucks and now sit second overall in the West.
Phoenix have the same amount of points as the Western Conference leading Chicago Blackhawks with 97. Chicago sits first overall however because they have played two less games than the Coyotes.
The Coyotes have a chance to take over first overall in the West on Tuesday as they will head to Chicago to take on the Hawks.
The two teams have met three times this year with Phoenix winning all three games. The most recent, a 5-4 shootout victory on Saturday.
Phoenix at Chicago gets underway at 5:30pm PT/8:30pm ET on Tuesday. The game can be seen on FS Arizona HD and CSN Chicago HD.
For up-to-the-minute Coyotes news, stats, and updates 24/7, be sure to follow Ken Beckett on Twitter @ twitter.com/KenBeckett 
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»