{coyotes} Kessel, Kadri lift streaking Maple Leafs past Coyotes

Monday 20 January 2014

{coyotes} Kessel, Kadri lift streaking Maple Leafs past Coyotes

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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Phil Kessel scored for the third straight game, and goalie Jonathan Bernier made 39 saves to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs past the Phoenix Coyotes 4-2 on Monday night.

The win was Toronto's fifth in a row.

Kessel, Nazem Kadri and defenseman Jake Gardiner each had a goal and an assist in the win, which moved Toronto past the Philadelphia Flyers into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Kessel scored his 24th goal and extended his scoring streak to five games to help the Maple Leafs build their first five-game winning streak since the 2006-07 season.

Bernier was under pressure all night, especially during the second period when he made 15 saves, but notched his fourth straight win with a collection of big saves. Toronto swept the season series from Phoenix after beating them 2-1 in a shootout in Toronto on Dec. 19.

Carl Gunnarsson snapped an 82-game scoring drought with a goal for the Maple Leafs, who hadn't won in Arizona since Oct. 23, 2003. Toronto had been outscored 16-5 in three previous trips to Jobing.com Arena, but offense wasn't a problem this time.

Mike Ribeiro scored on the power play at 5:35 of the third to draw the Coyotes to within 3-1. Phoenix has now scored on the man advantage in eight straight games, matching the longest such streak since the team moved to Phoenix in 1996-97.

Phoenix finished 1-for-4 with the man advantage.

Antoine Vermette scored Phoenix's first shorthanded goal of the season with 5:01 left, finishing off a 2-on-1 with Lauri Korpikoski for his 14th goal. Mike Smith made 25 saves but didn't get much help early as Toronto turned the Coyotes' sloppy play into scoring chances and goals.

The Coyotes outshot Toronto 41-29 in the game. Korpikoski and Oliver Ekman-Larsson hit the cross bar with shots, and Bernier added several keys saves, robbing Ekman-Larsson on a 2-on-1 with a sprawling stop in the second period.

The Coyotes were ahead wire-to-wire in their past two wins. But with center Martin Hanzal out with a lower-body injury, Phoenix coach Dave Tippett was forced to juggle his lines, and the combinations led to some sloppy play.

Ribeiro's turnover in the Phoenix corner late in the first put the Coyotes in an early hole. Kadri centered the puck to Gardiner, who put a wrist shot by Smith at 16:17 for his fourth goal.

A little more than a minute later, Zbynek Michalek lifted a puck into the crowd, drawing a delay of game penalty. With James van Riemsdyk providing a screen on Smith, Kessel put a nifty deke on Coyotes forward Jeff Halpern before picking out the far corner with a low wrist shot at 18:19.

The Coyotes outshot Toronto 15-6 in the second period, but Toronto scored the only goal.

On a delayed penalty to Phoenix's Michael Stone, Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf's shot from the point was knocked down by Gunnarsson in the slot between Coyotes. With the puck at his feet, Gunnarsson swept the puck in for his first goal in almost a calendar year; he last scored Jan. 24, 2013, against the New York Islanders.

The Coyotes finally got on the board when Riberio tapped home Keith Yandle's pass for his 12th goal. Phoenix kept up the pressure but couldn't score, with Bernier making a big pad save on Radim Vrbata at the end of a shorthanded 2-on-1 with 10 minutes left.

Kadri scored on the power play when his shot deflected off the stick of Phoenix's David Schlemko and by Smith at 14:10 to make it 4-1. It was Kadri's 12 th goal.

Toronto was 2-for-6 on the power play.

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