Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) - Monday was a good day for the Phoenix Coyotes.
Just a few hours after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the league
has found a new owner for Phoenix, the team took a 2-1 win over the Nashville
Predators to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in
franchise history.
Martin Hanzal and Derek Morris each scored a goal while Mike Smith stopped 32
shots as the Coyotes won this semfinal series in five games.
The Phoenix/Winnipeg franchise had won just two playoff series in its history,
and that included a six-game defeat of Chicago in this year's playoffs. The
Coyotes will next face the Kings, who defeated the top-seeded Canucks in the
first round and second-seeded Blues in the second round, in the conference
finals.
Colin Wilson scored late in the third while Pekka Rinne made 15 saves for the
Predators, who defeated the Red Wings in the first round to make the
semifinals for a second straight year, but have still never advanced to the
conference finals.
GAME NOTES:
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