NHL Coyotes avoid elimination by beating Kings

LOS ANGELES (AFP) –

Shane Doan (L) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Phoenix Coyotes celebrate Doan’s second period goal during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Doan scored twice and Mike Smith posted this third shutout of the post-season as the Phoenix Coyotes staved off elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs by beating Los Angeles 2-0.

Shane Doan scored twice and Mike Smith posted this third shutout of the post-season as the Phoenix Coyotes staved off elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs by beating Los Angeles 2-0 on Sunday.

Captain Doan scored his fourth and fifth goals of the playoffs and Smith stopped all 36 shots he faced for the Coyotes, who now trail the Kings 3-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.

“We did the things that make you move forward,” said Coyotes coach Dave Tippett. “We live for another day.

“We want to go home and grab some momentum from this game.”

Phoenix, in the Stanley Cup semi-finals for the first time in franchise history, will host game five on Tuesday. Either the Kings or Coyotes will play the New York Rangers or New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final.

Anze Kopitar (C) of the Los Angeles Kings attempts to score on goaltender Mike Smith (top) of the Phoenix Coyotes during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Smith posted this third shutout of the post-season as the Phoenix Coyotes staved off elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs by beating Los Angeles 2-0.

The third-seeded Coyotes are trying to pull off an improbable comeback. Only three teams in NHL history have won a seven-game series after losing the first three. The last club to do it was the Philadelphia Flyers when they beat Boston in the 2010 Eastern Conference semi-finals.

“We put ourselves in a tough position,” Doan said. “We know it has been done before and our group is special.”

Doan scored the eventual game winner at 14:19 of the first period when he skated out from the right corner and lifted a backhand over Jonathan Quick’s shoulder from a sharp angle, just the third shot of the game for Phoenix.

His second goal came off a faceoff win in the Kings’ zone and the shot caromed off the television camera in the back of the net, fooling the officials who let play continue.

At the next whistle, the Coyotes protested and a video review showed that the puck had crossed the goal line.

Smith had to be sharp from the opening faceoff as the Coyotes managed just five shots on goal in an otherwise lethargic first period.

Phoenix picked up their play in the second but the Kings still controlled much of the tempo in the first two periods, outshooting Phoenix 23-14.