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Smith leads Coyotes past Predators into west finals
Source: Agencies |
May 9, 2012, Wednesday
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PHOENIX goaltender Mike Smith produced another dominant performance to lead the Coyotes into the Western Conference finals with a 2-1 home win over the Nashville Predators on Monday.
Smith has been the driving force behind Phoenix's post-season run and was at his best again on Monday with 32 saves as the Coyotes claimed the best-of-seven second round series 4-1.
In the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers moved one win away from the conference finals by stunning the visiting Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime. Brad Richards scored in the final seconds of regulation to send the game into an extra session where Marc Staal grabbed the winner to give the Rangers a 3-2 series lead.
Phoenix, which had its first playoff series win in the opening round against Chicago, will now face fellow outsiders Los Angeles Kings, who were the West's eighth and final seeds.
"It has been a heck of a ride," said Smith, who shut out Nashville in Game 4.
"You don't make the playoffs every season, and you certainly don't make the conference finals every year, so it has been a heck of a ride," he said.
Derek Morris and Martin Hanzal gave the home team a 2-0 second-period lead over Predators, who welcomed forwards Alexander Radulov and Sergei Kostitsyn back after they missed two games for disciplinary reasons. Nashville's Colin Wilson cut the deficit to 2-1 with a tip-in with six minutes remaining.
Smith has been the driving force behind Phoenix's post-season run and was at his best again on Monday with 32 saves as the Coyotes claimed the best-of-seven second round series 4-1.
In the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers moved one win away from the conference finals by stunning the visiting Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime. Brad Richards scored in the final seconds of regulation to send the game into an extra session where Marc Staal grabbed the winner to give the Rangers a 3-2 series lead.
Phoenix, which had its first playoff series win in the opening round against Chicago, will now face fellow outsiders Los Angeles Kings, who were the West's eighth and final seeds.
"It has been a heck of a ride," said Smith, who shut out Nashville in Game 4.
"You don't make the playoffs every season, and you certainly don't make the conference finals every year, so it has been a heck of a ride," he said.
Derek Morris and Martin Hanzal gave the home team a 2-0 second-period lead over Predators, who welcomed forwards Alexander Radulov and Sergei Kostitsyn back after they missed two games for disciplinary reasons. Nashville's Colin Wilson cut the deficit to 2-1 with a tip-in with six minutes remaining.
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