The Wrap: Schmaltz Nets Hat Trick as Vejmelka Blanks Blues

STATS
Nick Schmaltz couldn't remember the last time he recorded a hat trick at any level of hockey.
His first-career NHL hatty, though, was simply unforgettable.
Schmaltz recorded a natural hat trick, Karel Vejmelka made 33 saves to earn his third shutout of the season, and the Arizona Coyotes closed out their homestand with a 5-0 win over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
Travis Boyd and Barrett Hayton also scored for the Coyotes, who finished their three-game homestand 2-1-0.

Thomas Greiss stopped 21 of the 26 shots he faced as the Blues lost their third straight game.
Schmaltz's three-goal performance increased his goal total on the season to 11, as he scored twice three minutes apart in the second period before recording his third just 13 seconds into the final frame. The goal, which gave Arizona a 3-0 lead, was was awarded by the referees after it was determined that Blues center Brayden Schenn knocked the net off while Schmaltz had an imminent scoring chance.
The overturned call resulted in the 26-year-old's first career hat trick, albeit an unconventional one.

"I think maybe in junior, Green Bay (Gamblers, USHL) I had one, but I don't know, I don't get too many," he said with a smile. "Probably minor hockey."
Schmaltz finished the game with four points, helping Arizona bounce back from a tough loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.
"The team has been trending in the right direction, and we got rewarded tonight," Schmaltz said. "It's always fun when you can score and contribute to a big win like that, so a lot of fun out there, and I'm happy to get the first hatty."
Vejmelka was just as clutch, coming up with one big save after another en route to his fourth career shutout. The 26-year-old has turned aside 68 of the 69 shots he's faced over the past two games, and improved to 8-4-2 at Mullett Arena this season.
To do it on the same day Arizona found out star defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere will miss some time with an upper-body injury meant that much more, too.
"Great game tonight for us. 5-0, it looks like an easy game, but it wasn't," Vejmelka said. "It was a hard game, a tough one for us, especially defensively, but we did a great job."

Coyotes head coach André Tourigny said Vejmelka was on point right out of the gate on Thursday.
"He was rested, he was ready, he was confident," Tourigny said. "It's rare they had a shot tonight where I was worried."
Arizona's offensive explosion certainly helped as well, as the Coyotes continued to pour it on even taking a 3-0 lead. Boyd beat Greiss five minutes after Schmaltz completed his hat trick before Hayton rounded out the scoring at 7:16 of the third, firing in a loose puck that Nick Ritchie was unable to get a stick on.

Ritchie and Hayton each finished with two points on the night, and eight different Coyotes found the scoresheet in the win.
"The most important thing was our mindset right from the beginning," Tourigny said. "We played the game the right way."
The Coyotes travel to Anaheim to face the Ducks on Saturday, marking their final game before the All-Star break. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:30 pm MST, and the game will be broadcast on Bally Sports Arizona Extra (TV) and KTAR 92.3 FM (Radio).