So my first game for the Coyotes as a part of Center Ice Magazine was definitely one to remember. Scottie Upshall had a natural hat trick in the third period. His first goal came at 4:02, followed by the second at 13:22 and the third at 14:27. Now for those other Predators fans out there, you should know that Predators traded Upshall to the Flyers along with Scott Hartnell for Peter Forsberg.
After arriving to the game halfway through the first period, thanks to rain and Arizona people not knowing how to drive in the rain, I noticed Nashville’s sloppy play in their own end especially around the net. Hamhuis almost had an own goal with seconds to go in the period and that careless play carried over into the second period when Matthew Lombardi took advantage of the failed clearing attempt to put the Coyotes up 1-0.
The Predators were clearly out shooting the Coyotes, 15-5 in the first but it took them almost the whole second period to find the back of the net. Patrick Hornqvist scored his 20th goal of the season at the 13:57 mark and was soon followed up by Martin Erat’s goal at 14:37. Erat’s goal proved to be the end of the offensive game for the Predators as the third period was all Upshall. Upshall finished the game with three goals, six shots and a +2 rating.
After the game, Upshall said it meant a lot getting the hat trick against his old team and head coach, Dave Tippett couldn’t have agreed more. “I enjoyed watching it,” he said of Upshall’s hat trick, “We needed one (goal) and he got three.”
Although Upshall played well, so did Ilya Bryzgalov. Bryzgalov had 43 saves in the win. “He (Bryzgalov) was real solid,” said Tippett, “He played very well tonight.”
With the win, the Coyotes move up to fourth in the Western Conference standings and the Predators are currently sitting in sixth.
Game Notes: The win over the Predators gave Tippett his 300th career win. The paid attendance tonight was 9,142.
