BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS
Mike Smith recorded his first-ever postseason shutout in outstanding fashion. The goaltender, who recorded eight shutouts in the regular season, made 39 saves to stymie the Blackhawks.
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"He was unbelievable," said captain Shane Doan.
"He was awesome … we expect him to play the way he has," said Keith Yandle.
"It was just one of those games when pucks were hitting me," Smith said. "Our guys were doing a good job to get rebounds and tie guys up after their shots. It was just the rhythm of the game, it seemed like."
Smith recorded 229 saves during the six-game series.
Second-year defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson broke a scoreless tie with 7:46 left to play in the second period when he
hammered home a long power-play slap shot
through traffic. It was his first playoff goal.
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Ekman-Larsson's tally proved to be the game-winner. Gilbert Brule, Antoine Vermette, and Kyle Chipchura provided insurance goals in the third period.
The Coyotes won all three away games in the series, and posted a perfect 5-0 record that year at the United Center. The record included a pair of regular season wins.
The series win was the first for the franchise since the 1986-87 Winnipeg Jets defeated the Edmonton Oilers in six games in the Clarence Campbell Conference semifinals.
