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DALLAS (AP) -- The Phoenix Coyotes are the hottest team in the
NHL, and center Jeremy Roenick continues to add fuel to the fire.
| | Phoenix's, from left, Jeremy Roenick, Teppo Numminen, Dallas Drake and Jyrki Lumme celebrate Roenick's game-winner. |
Roenick scored the game-winner with 2:59 left in regulation,
just 26 seconds after Trevor Letowski tied it, as Phoenix rallied
to beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 Monday night.
Roenick's shot pinballed off the skate of Dallas goaltender Ed
Belfour and into the net to put the Coyotes in front for the first
time. Phoenix improved to 9-1-0 in its last 10 games behind
Roenick's 16th goal.
Roenick has five game-winners during Phoenix' last 10 games and
has nine goals and 11 assists in that span.
"I fired it, it flipped up on edge and it went in after it hit
Belfour's skate," Roenick said. "When the puck is going in for
you, you take every opportunity to fire it on the net."
Roenick's early pace suggests that he has returned from the
broken jaw he suffered last season from a check by Dallas
defenseman Derian Hatcher that earned Hatcher a seven-game
suspension. Roenick has scored 100 points in a season three times
and has had two seasons of at least 50 goals.
"We're productive defensively and offensively," Roenick said.
"We're getting outstanding goaltending and we believe that when
we're down, we can still come back to win."
Letowski's deflection at 16:35 beat Belfour to even the score.
Blake Sloan had given the Stars a 2-1 lead midway through the
second period. Sloan took possession at the bottom of the left
circle, turned and fired the puck past Bob Essensa stick side at
10:30 of the second. It was Sloan's second goal of the season.
Essensa stopped 18 shots to stretch his streak to 10 games
without a loss. His 9-0-1 mark is the best start of a season for a
goalie in franchise history.
"It's a combination of a lot of things," Essensa said. "I'm
playing behind a team that's better than any team I've ever played
behind before. Even if we're down a goal or two, we believe we can
come back. Against a team like this, you don't think you can come
back from being down 2-1 in the third period in their building, but
we found a way to do it."
Dallas returned home after an 4-0-0 road trip, but the Stars are
1-5-1 in their last seven home games.
"It's been pretty frustrating for us at home all year," Stars
center Mike Modano said. "We always seem to find ways to shoot
ourselves in the foot. Tonight we deserved a better fate. We wanted
to get something positive started here."
Dallas grabbed a 1-0 lead at 4:34 of the first period on Guy
Carbonneau's third goal. All of Carbonneau's goals this season have
come against Phoenix.
Mike Sullivan tied it 1:14 later from the slot with his second.
The Coyotes were without left wing Keith Tkachuk, out with a
neck injury.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Phoenix Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
In the Corners: Roenick returns to old form
Power Rankings: Stars shoot up 11 spots
RECAPS
Nashville 4 Atlanta 3
NY Rangers 3 Calgary 2
Toronto 3 Buffalo 2
Chicago 5 Edmonton 1
Phoenix 3 Dallas 2
Colorado 5 Vancouver 2
Tampa Bay 3 San Jose 3
AUDIO/VIDEO
Mike Sullivan scores on the slap shot.
avi: 683 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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