Streaking Coyotes Add Stars to List

The Phoenix Coyotes can give much of the credit for their 7-1-2 start to goalie Sean Burke.

Burke made 28 saves, 13 in the opening period, to help the Coyotes to a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Friday night at Dallas.

“I keep saying it. He’s been outstanding. He’s been flawless,” said Coyote Coach Bob Francis, whose team is 5-0-2 in its last seven games and plays the Kings tonight at Phoenix. “I don’t know of a goaltender in the league playing as well.”

Trailing, 3-2, the Stars had a shot at the tying goal with six minutes to play when Grant Marshall was left all alone in front of the Phoenix net. But Burke stopped Marshall to preserve the lead and improve his record to 6-1-1.

Burke kept his team afloat while it was being outshot in the first period, 14-2. The score was tied at 1-1 after the first period.

The Coyotes expected to see an angry team after the Stars were beaten at home by the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night, 6-2.

“They got shelled at home so we knew they were going to come out hard,” Burke said. “We killed off [three of four] penalties in the first period, and that got us going. This is a huge win. That’s a very good team.”

Star Coach Ken Hitchcock thought his team played better than Wednesday night, but still thinks his players can shift into a higher gear.

“There’s a pride here that when the opposing goaltender is playing well, we outwork him,” said Hitchcock, whose team had a 30-18 shots advantage. “We had five or six times on scoring chances where we needed to bear down. But we let up. We want that person to slam the puck through the back of the net. We want to see a hunger.”

Ottawa 6, Tampa Bay 0--Marian Hossa had a goal and an assist at Tampa, Fla., extending his season-opening points streak to nine games, and rookie Jani Hurme stopped 24 shots for his first shutout as the Senators remained unbeaten.

The Senators’ nine-game unbeaten streak--they’re 6-0-3--is the second longest in team history, behind an 11-game run (8-0-3) during the 1998-99 season.

New Jersey 3, Carolina 3--Patrik Elias scored early in the third period and assisted on another goal as the Devils rallied three times to tie at Raleigh, N.C.

Carolina extended its unbeaten streak in overtime to an NHL-best 21 in a row (4-0-17), but is 0-3-1 in its last four games.

Buffalo 2, Toronto 1--Erik Rasmussen poked in a rebound for the winning goal with 5:21 to play at Buffalo, N.Y.

New York Islanders 2, Montreal 1--John Vanbiesbrouck stopped 37 shots for his first victory with the Islanders and Mark Parrish scored the eventual winner in the second period at Uniondale, N.Y.

Columbus 3, Washington 1--Marc Denis stopped 32 shots and three teammates scored goals as the expansion Blue Jackets won for the first time at Columbus, Ohio.

A crowd of 16,128 at Nationwide Arena gave the team a standing ovation throughout the final minute. After the game, the Blue Jackets slapped hands with fans who leaned over the exit tunnel.

Pittsburgh 4, New York Rangers 1--Jaromir Jagr went on another offensive onslaught against the Rangers with a goal and an assist during the Penguins’ three-goal first period at New York.

The loss was the fourth in a row for the Rangers and their second this season to the Penguins. Jagr had four goals in the Penguins’ 8-6 victory at Pittsburgh on Oct. 14.

Nashville 3, Florida 3--Sebastien Bordeleau and Scott Walker scored 57 seconds apart in the third period at Nashville, Tenn., as the Predators kept the Panthers winless.

The draw might have come at a price for the Predators, whose top goalie, Mike Dunham, left the game in the first period because of a knee strain. He will be sidelined for two to four weeks.

Minnesota 3, Calgary 1--Darby Hendrickson and Filip Kuba scored in the first period as the Wild won at St. Paul, Minn., despite getting only 13 shots on goal, six in the final two periods.

Minnesota goalie Manny Fernandez, returning to the lineup after sitting out six games because of an ankle injury, made 30 saves.

Atlanta 1, Vancouver 1--Dean Sylvester scored his first goal of the season with 4:55 to play in regulation, lifting the Thrashers to a tie at Vancouver, Canada.

Atlanta managed only two shots on goal through the first 15 minutes of the third period before Sylvester beat Felix Potvin between the legs with an unscreened slap shot from 45 feet.