Smith sets Coyotes shutout record in win over Avs
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Brendan Perlini scored his 13th goal of the season and Mike Smith made 22 saves to record his franchise-record 22nd shutout as the Arizona Coyotes beat the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 on Monday at Gila River Arena.
Smith passed Nikolai Khabibulin and Ilya Bryzgalov to take over sole possession of the team's all-time shutout mark with his third of the season. He guided the Coyotes (25-35-8) to their second consecutive win.
Colorado goalie Calvin Pickard made 34 saves, including a third-period breakaway stop on Max Domi and a glove save on Tobias Rieder. However, the Avalanche lost for the sixth time in their past eight games (2-6-0) and ninth time in their past 12 (3-8-1).
Colorado (19-46-3) has been shut out an NHL-high 12 times this season, 24.5 percent of its losses.
Perlini put his team on top with his third goal in three games. Center Peter Holland sent a cross-ice feed onto Perlini's stick, and the left winger beat Pickard with a wrist shot inside the far post at 3:49 of the second period.
Perlini, who started the season with Tucson of the American Hockey League, where he scored 14 goals in 17 games, is averaging .302 goals per game, the fourth best average among rookies behind Winnipeg's Patrik Laine, Toronto's Auston Matthews and Pittsburgh's Jake Guentzel.
Pickard kept his team in the game with a spectacular glove save on Rieder at 5:34 of the second period. Perlini sent a perfect saucer pass from the left wing to Rieder at the right post off the rush. Rieder got all of his shot, but Pickard moved post to post to stop it, leaving Rieder shaking his head.
Coyotes captain Shane Doan was injured in pregame warm-ups when he collided with defenseman Jakob Chychrun in the neutral zone. Doan had just passed teammate Oliver Ekman-Larsson and turned to try to poke a puck away from Ekman-Larsson, so he did not see Chychrun coming. Doan's head snapped back with the impact, and both went to the ice. Chychrun stayed down while Doan got up and skated gingerly to the bench.
When the teams came back out for the national anthem, Chychrun was there but Doan did not join the Coyotes. The team reported he was being evaluated, but he later emerged and took his regular shift late in the first period.
NOTES: Coyotes C Alex Burmistrov (concussion) skated before the Monday morning skate, but coach Dave Tippett said he is not close to returning. "He's pretty ginger," Tippett said. ... Arizona C Brad Richardson (broken right tibia and fibula) still has not taken part in a full practice with less than four weeks to go in the season. He has resumed skating after a couple days off for treatment, but the Coyotes still have not set a timetable for his return. ... The Avalanche recalled D Anton Lindholm from San Antonio of the AHL. He will join the team in in Denver on Tuesday. ... Avs C Matt Duchene was back on the top line between LW Gabriel Landeskog and RW Mikko Rantanen after a demotion to the third line on Saturday against Ottawa. ... Coyotes D Kevin Connauton (upper body) missed his fifth game in a row. He is still listed as day-to-day.