The Phoenix Coyotes snapped a four-game, road losing streak with a comeback 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings last night -- and, like many games for the Yotes this season, it never should have happened.
Also similar to many of the Coyotes' improbable wins this season, the W came as the result of a shootout.
The Coyotes trailed 2-0 in the third period, but some late game heroics sent the game into overtime where the Howlers tend to shine.
Drew Doughty got the scoring started for the Kings about halfway through the second period after a defensive showdown led to a scoreless first period.
Jack Johnson scored the Kings' second goal about halfway through the third period and that point, we thought it was curtains for the playoff-bound Yotes.
Now trailing the Kings 2-0, the Coyotes flipped the switch and started playing like a team set to win 50 games this season.
Coyotes forward Matthew Lombardi slipped one past Jonathan Quick -- now the winningest goalie in Kings history -- about 12 minutes into the period, and Taylor Pyatt followed, scoring for the Howlers about a minute-and-a-half later.
And off to overtime we go.
An uneventful, scoreless overtime period put the Coyotes right where they want to be -- in a shootout.
The Coyotes have shined in shootouts all season, much because of the efforts of the Yotes MVP goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, but Bryzgalov had the night off, so Coyotes fans could only hold their collective breaths as backup goalie Jason LaBarbera stepped into the crease to shut down the Kings, which he did just fine.
LaBarbera gave up a goal to Anze Kopitar on the first shot of the shootout, but he was flawless from there on out.
The Coyotes -- down by one in the shootout -- got a stay of execution after Radim Vrbata put one by Quick in the third round.
LaBarbera stuffed a Jarret Stoll wrist-shot, and then it was up to Adrien Aucoin, who fired a shot past Quick to win the game.
The win was the Coyotes record-extending 50th of the season and a nice confidence booster with only one game left in the regular season.
The Coyotes take the ice again on Sunday, when they stay in California to take on the San Jose Sharks. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m., but the game will not be televised. For more information on the Coyotes, click here.
