Hanzal records hat trick, Arizona Coyotes blank Canucks: By the Numbers

Well, that was unexpected.

Led by forward Martin Hanzal’s hat trick, the Arizona Coyotes, who began Friday as the Western Conference’s worst team and riding a three-game losing streak, put a 5-0 whooping on the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.

Hanzal tallied his second-career hat trick, while forward Shane Doan and defenseman Keith Yandle added a goal apiece as part of the Coyotes’ rout.

The Coyotes’ first-round pick (17th overall) in the 2005 NHL Draft, Hanzal opened the game’s scoring with just over five minutes to play in the first period. He scored goal No. 2 late in the second period on what was nearly a high stick, and then added his third and final goal of the evening just nine seconds later.

Goaltender Devan Dubnyk notched his first-career shutout as a member of the Coyotes (7-9-1, 15 points) with his 35-save performance against the Canucks (12-6-0, 24 points), whose 24 points are second-best in the Western Conference. Dubnyk, who spent most of his first six NHL seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, improved to 3-0-1 in net for Arizona.

Here’s how the Coyotes earned their 14th and 15th points of the season to leapfrog the Oilers and move out of last place in the Pacific division, by the numbers:

2

A Coyote has notched a hat trick in each of Arizona’s last two games against the Canucks. Antoine Vermette scored three goals in the Coyotes’ 5-4 overtime loss to Vancouver on Jan. 26 last season.

3

The win was just the third road victory of the season for the Coyotes, and just the third home loss for the Canucks. Arizona is 3-5-1 away from home, while Vancouver fell to 5-3-0 at Rogers Arena.

3 (part II)

The Coyotes won despite managing just 23 shots on net, including three in the first period. That tells you all you need to know about Dubnyk’s performance.

6

The hat trick was just the second of Hanzal’s career. You have to go back six years to track down his first. Hanzal scored three goals in the Coyotes’ 6-3 home win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 4, 2008.

6 (part II)

Doan scored his sixth goal of the season with less than three seconds remaining in the second period to give the ‘Yotes a 4-0 advantage heading into intermission.

20

The Canucks got plenty of shots on goal Friday, but Dubnyk would’ve had a lot more work to do if not for the Coyotes’ 20 blocked shots for the game.

322

Dubnyk’s last shutout came as a member of the Oilers on Dec. 27 last season, a span of 322 days. In that game, he saved 27 shots in the Oilers’ 2-0 win at the Calgary Flames.