Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Adrian Aucoin scored the decisive goal in the fourth round of the shootout, as the surprising Phoenix Coyotes edged the Dallas Stars, 3-2, to match a franchise record with their ninth straight win.
Coyotes Make It Nine In A Row, Beat Stars 3-2
After Radim Vrbata beat Dallas goaltender Marty Turco with a backhander to extend the shootout, Jason LaBarbera made a glove save on Stars forward Steve Ott. Aucoin then fired a wrister past the glove of Turco.
Vrbata and Petr Prucha each had a power-play goal in regulation for the Coyotes, who tied the longest win streak set by the Winnipeg Jets from March 8-27, 1985. Five of the wins during this current stretch have been earned in shootouts.
Phoenix also vaulted over San Jose for first place in the Pacific Division and joined Chicago atop the Western Conference standings with a club-record 97 points. The Coyotes/Jets franchise has never claimed a division crown since entering the NHL in 1979.
LaBarbera stopped 30 shots for the win.
Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson provided the offense for Dallas, which went 2-2-2 on its six-game homestand. Turco made 33 saves.
The Stars moved seven points behind Detroit for the final playoff spot in the West, and haven’t missed the postseason in consecutive years since 1987 and 1988, when the franchise was based in Minnesota and finished last in the Norris Division both times.
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