The Phoenix Coyotes hit the ice at Jobing.com Arena for the last time until the end of December, but chose to go out with a bang. The Desert Dogs got on the board quickly against Andrew Raycroft and the Dallas Stars, defeating the Pacific Division leaders by a count of 5-2.
Coming in against a Dallas team had played to extra time in three of its four previous contests, the Coyotes came out firing on all cylinders, finding the net early and often. Ray Whitney got the scoring started with his fourth goal of the year six minutes in. Oddly enough, it was only the second game in which Whitney scored a goal, with the other three all coming in one game.
From there, Shane Doan took over for the rest of the first period. The Coyote captain netted his third of the season just over a minute after Whitney's first goal, before adding another on the power play later in the period. Doan tied for the team lead in shots, with five, and registered a plus-1 in his nearly 14 minutes of ice time.
That early lead is one that the Coyotes would not surrender. Dallas eventually got on the board, with James Neal scoring the only goal in the second period. That second marked the only period that Phoenix was outshot in the game, despite being on the short end in the shot totals at the end.
Any hope Dallas had going into the third period was short lived. Lauri Korpikoski potted a shorthanded goal just over a minute into the last frame. Midway through the third, Keith Yandle's goal to give the Coyotes a 5-1 edge would be all she wrote for Andrew Raycroft, who was chased after 50 minutes in goal. Loui Eriksson's power play goal towards the end of the period would prove irrelevant.
On the other end of the ice, Ilya Bryzgalov was a contrast of the Stars' backup goaltender. Turning in yet another solid performance, stopping 33 of the 35 Dallas shots. It was the sixth time in Bryz's last eight that he allowed two or less goals between the pipes.
The win bumped Phoenix up to 6-4-4 at Jobing.com Arena, which is disappointing given their 8-4-2 record away from home. The Yotes will get a chance to build on that impressive road mark when they leave Phoenix for six games, which begins on Wednesday night with a tilt against the New Jersey Devils.