Coyotes Blank Kings 1-0
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mike Smith posted his fourth shutout of the season after getting into first-period altercation with Anze Kopitar, Radim Vrbata tied a career high with his 27th goal, and the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 on Thursday night.
Smith made 28 saves for his 15th career shutout, and Vrbata scored on a power play in the second period.
The Kings, coming off a 4-2 win over Dallas in which they had only 16 shots on net, returned from their 2-3-1 Grammy trip with their seventh shutout loss of the season.
It was the eighth time Los Angeles was held to fewer than two goals in its last 13 games (5-5-3), and the fourth time this season that the Kings lost by a 1-0 score.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
