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GLENDALE, Ariz. - Coming into Monday's game, the Coyotes were the only team in the NHL without an overtime victory this season. You can scratch that off the list.
Petr Prucha scored 53 seconds into the extra session on a power play to lift the Coyotes to a 6-5 victory over the Dallas Stars in front of 13,381 at Jobing.com Arena.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Prucha, who scored his second goal with the Coyotes. “It would be even better if we won it before the overtime … we are happy to have two points tonight.”
Prucha, who already had two assists in the game, was sent out by Coyotes Head Coach Wayne Gretzky for the four-on-three power play after Stars defenseman Andrew Hutchinson was called for tripping. With a down low set up by Shane Doan, the captain fed a pass to Prucha, who one-timed the puck past Stars goalie Tobias Stephan for his sixth goal this season. It was the first four-on-three goal the Coyotes have scored this season.
“It was a great play by Doaner,” Prucha said. “He just passed it to me. I was open and it was easy.”
The line combination of Prucha, Scottie Upshall and Matthew Lombardi combined for three goals and four assists after reuniting for the first time since March 14.
“I thought we skated well,” said Upshall, who has scored five goals since joining the Coyotes. “I think we complement each others' speed very well. Lombardi up the middle is a great skater and a great playmaker. For that line, it is crucial we work hard, shoot the puck, make plays and play solid defense.”
“They are both great players and it is easy to play with them,” Prucha said. “You just have to have your stick on the ice and they can find you.”
Enver Lisin, playing in his first game since March 9, scored two goals and added an assist on the game-winner, and Upshall added two tallies for the Coyotes, who are 4-0-1 in their past five contests at Jobing.com Arena.
“It feels very nice to get back in the lineup,” said Lisin, who last scored on Feb. 12. “To play in this game, I was very excited today.”
Phoenix had a 5-3 lead with less than six minutes remaining in regulation, but couldn’t finish off the victory in the first 60 minutes.
Stars forward Chris Conner scored his third goal, on a breakaway, with 5:26 left to cut Phoenix's lead to 5-4. Then, after the Stars failed on a late power play, they knotted the score using an extra attacker. Darryl Sydor let go a one-timer that beat Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, with a screen in front, to tie the score at 5 with 58 seconds remaining.
"I thought we played a real solid hockey game for about 55 minutes," Gretzky said.
The Coyotes jumped to a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes behind goals from Upshall and Lisin. Goals by Doan, his team-leading 29th, and Lisin in the middle frame gave Phoenix a 4-3 lead after two periods.
NOTES
• Doan has tallied at least a point in five of his past seven games with four goals and six assists in that period.
• Bryzgalov made 18 saves. Stephan finished with 27 saves.
• Phoenix scratched Kyle Turris, Todd Fedoruk, Peter Mueller, David Hale and Nigel Dawes. Brian McGrattan is out for the season because of a shoulder injury.
• Ten players notched at least one point for the Coyotes.
• The Stars outhit the Coyotes 27-25.
• Forward Joakim Lindstrom played in his first game since March 12 after being a healthy scratch for the previous seven games. He played 11:06 and had two shots on goal.
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