NHL: Coyotes overpower Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Martin Hanzal, Zbynek Michalek and Robert Lang scored power-play goals and Jason LaBarbera stopped 31 shots in the Phoenix Coyotes' 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night.

James Vandermeer had what ended up being the winner when his even-strength shot from just inside the blue line ricocheted off a Columbus defender and into the net late in the second period.

The Coyotes, the stingiest team in the Western Conference, have given up just 23 goals in their first 11 games.

Keith Yandle had three assists for the Coyotes, whose sale to the NHL was finalized this week.

Derick Brassard had the lone goal for the Blue Jackets, who played seven of the first 10 on the road.

Down 1-0 midway through the second period, the Coyotes drew even on their first power-play goal. Yandle swooped down the left wing and saucered a lead pass for Ed Jovanovski, but Columbus goalie Steve Mason made the stop. He didn't cover the puck, however, and Hanzal was there to ram it past him an instant before being leveled by Columbus defenseman Mike Commodore, who was called for roughing.

Not long after the Blue Jackets killed off that penalty, Vandermeer had a long, hard shot from the edge of the offensive zone. It was wide to the right of the goal but it hit Columbus defenseman Fedor Tyutin's right leg and ricocheted into the net.

Michalek was in the high slot when he took a perfect setup pass from Radim Vrbata to pot a second power-play tally to make it 3-1. Lang then took a feed from Yandle to score from a hard angle along the left goal line, again with a man advantage, to close the scoring.

The Coyotes were 3 for 6 on the power play.

Mason gave up four goals on 23 shots and has surrendered 20 goals in his last five games.

LaBarbera's biggest save came during a 4-on-4 early in the third period with the Coyotes hanging on to a one-goal lead. Kris Russell fed Brassard on a 2-on-1 break but LaBarbera smothered the chip shot.

The Blue Jackets drew first blood (literally) after Phoenix's Scottie Upshall received a double minor for a high stick that opened up a cut on the face of Columbus defenseman Marc Methot late in the opening period.

Russell's blast from the point slammed into traffic in front of the net, with Raffi Torres deflecting the puck to Brassard who went high with the shot to beat LaBarbera.

NOTES: The game marked the return of Dave King, the Blue Jackets' coach for the franchise's first two-plus years. He's now an assistant with the Coyotes and received a nice video tribute in the first period. ... Jovanovski has points in his last three games (1-4-5) ... Just before the game Columbus assigned D Mathieu Roy to the club's American Hockey League affiliate in Syracuse. ... The Coyotes had lost their last two games. ... Antoine Vermette's five-game point streak for the Blue Jackets was ended.