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Tuesday, 29 December 2009
FINAL SO
2 - 3
FINAL SO 1 2 3 OT SO T
Canucks 0 1 1 0 0 (0-3) 2
Coyotes 0 2 0 0 1 (1-3) 3
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GOAL SCORERS

VAN:   M. Samuelsson (10:49 - 2nd) , K. Wellwood (13:48 - 3rd)
PHX:   E. Jovanovski (PPG, 10:00 - 2nd) , P. Prucha (17:02 - 2nd) , L. Korpikoski (00:00 - SO)
GOALIES

VAN: R. Luongo (L)
 PHX: J. LaBarbera (W)
Coyotes 3, Canucks 2, SO
Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -Jason LaBarbera was excited to play against his former team. He was even more thrilled to help the Phoenix Coyotes set a franchise record in the process.

LaBarbera made 28 saves and was perfect in the shootout as the Coyotes set a team record by winning their 10th straight home game, 3-2 over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.

"It's always weird when you play your ex-teammates especially when it's so close," said LaBarbera, who was the backup to Roberto Luongo last year. "I ended the year with them and we had a lot of good memories in the playoffs and I just wanted to come with a good effort tonight."

Ed Jovanovski and Petr Prucha scored in regulation and Lauri Korpikoski had the lone goal of the shootout for the Coyotes, who surpassed the nine-game streak set by the Winnipeg Jets from Dec. 27, 1992 through Jan. 23, 1993.

Phoenix has won four of its last five overall, only losing Monday night in a shootout at San Jose.

"I'm just proud of how hard the guys competed," said Coyotes coach Dave Tippett. "I mean you've got Vancouver on a winning streak, sitting here last night watching our gave on TV. We played a hard, hard game in San Jose and we come back here and the guys muster up that kind of effort, it makes our whole coaching staff very proud."

Mikael Samuelsson and Kyle Wellwood scored for the Canucks, who became the last team in the league to record an overtime loss. Wellwood tied the game with 6:12 left in regulation.

Three Stars
Jason LaBarbera

As much as we like the person, we take issue with the first star selection. Was Barbie the best player on the ice Tuesday? Not by a long shot. Sentimental choice. Fair enough.
  28 saves, 2 saves in the shootout, 6:45 TOI SH

Ed Jovanovski

Played physcial, especially on the Twins, but took a crazy penalty late in the game that sent the Canucks to OT on a PP. Didn't convert, so Eddie gets a pass on that one.
1 Goal, 0 Assists, +3, 21:20 TOI, 4 PMs

Lauri Korpikoski

Come on, who is choosing these? Lauri was on for both Canucks goals in regulation, logged just 15:34 of ice time and had one shot on goal. Third star because he scored in the shootout? 
1 shootout goal, 1 blokced shot, 1 takeaway

"I've seen Wellwood enough times last year in practice and I knew he was goint to slow down," LaBarbera said. "He holds the puck out in front of him so it's a little bit easier for me to get to it."

Jovanovski gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead midway through the second period on a wild sequence in which Phoenix forward Scottie Upshall was knocked to the ice and Vancouver goalie Robert Luongo was stripped of his stick.

Shane Doan took the puck from Upshall while he was flat on the ice, skated right and then reversed the puck to Jovanovski at the left circle. Jovanovski shot just to the left of the prone Upshall and beat the nearly defenseless Luongo to his blocker side at 10:00 of the first.

Samuelsson tied the game just 49 seconds later when he took advantage of a partial screen and rifled a sharp wrist shot from the top of the right circle past LaBarbera.

"If you think you're coming to Phoenix now for an easy two points that's not the case now," Samuelsson said.

Phoenix regained the lead at 17:02 of the second when Prucha chipped a shot off Luongo and into the net for his second goal in two nights.

Luongo stopped 23 shots for the Canucks.

"We got one of those loser points so everybody can get off our case because we didn't have one," said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. "But I would rather have won and still have people on our case for not having one of those loser points."

NOTES: Wellwood's goal was his second in as many games. He scored the game-winner at Calgary on Sunday. LaBarbera was making his first start since December 17 and his second in Phoenix's last 21 games. The Canucks have played only three overtime games this season and all three have gone to the shootout. The Coyotes have points in their last eight games (6-1-2).


PIC OF THE GAME
(click for full view)


Three star selections
1st:   JASON LABARBERA
2nd:   ED JOVANOVSKI
3rd:   LAURI KORPIKOSKI
Winning Goaltender
Jason LaBarbera

Losing Goaltender
Roberto Luongo

SCHEDULE
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STANDINGS

WESTERN CONFERENCE
  TEAM GP W L OT GF GA PTS
1 p - CHI 48 36 7 5 155 102 77
2 y - ANA 48 30 12 6 140 118 66
3 y - VAN 48 26 15 7 127 121 59
4 x - STL 48 29 17 2 129 115 60
5 x - LAK 48 27 16 5 133 118 59
6 x - SJS 48 25 16 7 124 116 57
7 x - DET 48 24 16 8 124 115 56
8 x - MIN 48 26 19 3 122 127 55
9 CBJ 48 24 17 7 120 119 55
10 PHX 48 21 18 9 125 131 51
11 DAL 48 22 22 4 130 142 48
12 EDM 48 19 22 7 125 134 45
13 CGY 48 19 25 4 128 160 42
14 NSH 48 16 23 9 111 139 41
15 COL 48 16 25 7 116 152 39