{coyotes} Jones, Kings shut out struggling Coyotes

Thursday 4 December 2014

{coyotes} Jones, Kings shut out struggling Coyotes

Elvis' Christmas Album - Elvis Presley

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Dustin Brown had two goals and an assist and goalie Martin Jones made 26 saves for his second straight shutout to help the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-0 victory against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday.

The Kings (14-7-5) have back-to-back shutouts -- Jonathan Quick blanked the Boston Bruins 2-0 on Tuesday -- and have shut out three of their past four opponents. Jones, who shut out the Minnesota Wild 4-0 on Nov. 26, has six shutouts in his first 24 NHL starts. When he recorded his fifth shutout in his 23rd NHL game, only Steve Mason (20) and Tony Esposito (22) had reached five shutouts quicker since the 1967-68 season.

Jones' current shutout streak is 146:32.

His best save came nine minutes into the third period when he stopped Tobias Rieder's bid for his third shorthanded goal in the past three games on a mini-breakaway.

Jarret Stoll and Alec Martinez each had a power-play goal for the Kings, who had lost five straight games in Arizona. The Kings matched their season total for power-play goals on the road (two) in a 15-minute span against the Coyotes.

Arizona (10-14-3) has lost six straight games at Gila River Arena (0-4-2), the longest home losing streak for the Coyotes in almost five years. They lost six straight at home from Jan. 27 to Feb. 16, 2009, when Wayne Gretzky was behind the bench.

Arizona goalie Mike Smith allowed three goals in 20 shots before being replaced by Devan Dubnyk after Stoll's goal. Smith's record this season fell to 5-13-2.

Arizona has been shut out in back-to-back games at home and has gone 172:33 without scoring a goal in its own building. The Coyotes scored three times in the first 10:53 against the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 25, but blew the 3-0 lead and lost 4-3 in overtime.

The Coyotes had some good offensive pressure early but any momentum was wiped out by a sloppy giveaway. Kyle Chipchura's backward pass toward his own blue line was intercepted by Brown, who cruised in alone and beat Smith over the blocker for his fifth goal of the season.

Arizona, which was 0-for-21 at home on the power play in November, had some good pressure on its first December chance but was unable to score for the sixth straight period on home ice. After both Joe Vitale and Brandon McMillan had good chances in close, the Kings turned the puck up ice and Brown put a shot between the legs of defenseman David Schlemko and over Smith's shoulder at 9:57.

A Los Angeles power play that had produced only two goals in 31 chances in the first 11 road games, then got into the act.

With Chipchura off for high-sticking Jordan Nolan, Brown set up defenseman Alec Martinez for a shot that Stoll got just enough of to roll over the pad of Smith and into the net at 15:41. Smith got the hook and the Coyotes were in a deep hole.

Brown has four goals and eight points in his past eight games.

With Arizona's B.J. Crombeen off for hooking in the third period, Martinez used a Brown screen to rip a Justin Williams setup past Dubnyk's glove hand at 9:36. Dubnyk finished with 21 saves.

When My Heart Finds Christmas - Harry Connick, Jr.