The Blackhawks were back on the road Wednesday night, ending their mini-slump and spoiling the Phoenix Coyotes’ homecoming by scoring a 5-2 victory.
“We were real good,” said coach Brian Sutter. “We were ready early, in the second period we gave them one scoring chance and we were real good late. It was a hard-earned victory.
“The guys remembered what happened in Boston and New Jersey and they didn’t like it.”
The deciding goal that broke a 2-2 tie was scored midway through the second period by defenseman Jaroslav Spacek with the assistance of Ryan VandenBussche and Steve Sullivan.
VandenBussche dug the puck out of the corner and dished it to Sullivan, who relayed it to Spacek on the perimeter. After passing the puck to Sullivan, VandenBussche went to the net and screened goalie Sean Burke as Spacek was shooting.
“Sully made a good play by moving the puck to Spacek so quickly and Spacek made an even better play by getting rid of it so quickly,” said VandenBussche. “I don’t think Burke had a clue where the puck was.”
The Coyotes returned to America West Arena for the first time since Jan. 19, while the Hawks were playing their first game in a week and resuming a five-game trip that began with narrow losses in Boston and New Jersey.
The trip continues Friday in San Jose and concludes Saturday in Colorado.
“I want to get points out of them all and you know it’s not going to be easy,” Sutter said at the morning skate. “The last two days in practice the guys were fired up. We’re ready to go. We’ve got to bear down early.”
That’s exactly what the Hawks did, firing pucks hot and heavy at the Coyotes’ starting goalie, Robert Esche. Two of captain Tony Amonte’s shots found their mark, giving them a two-goal lead 5 minutes 15 seconds into the game.
Exit Esche. Enter Burke.
Coinciding with the change in goalies was a change in the complexion of the contest. By the end of the period the score was tied 2-2, thanks to goals by Andrei Nazarov and Daniel Briere at the expense of goalie Jocelyn Thibault.
Although the Hawks outshot the home team 18-3 in the second period, all they had to show for it was Spacek’s second goal of the season. But they stayed in an attacking mode and were rewarded with goals by Sullivan and Mark Bell.
