Arizona Coyotes’ Mike Smith sets franchise shutout record in win over Colorado Avalanche

Coyotes goalie Mike Smith didn’t know he was within reach of the record before the season started.

“I don’t really keep tabs on that kind of stuff,” he said.

But Smith was well aware that he was closing in on the milestone during Monday’s game against the Avalanche and when time ran out, preserving a 1-0 win for the Coyotes at Gila River Arena, Smith was glad to finally be the franchise’s shutout leader with 22 clean slates.

“To get that many shutouts with one team is a pretty cool achievement,” he said. “I played with a lot of different teammates throughout my time in Arizona here, a lot of special people that (I) will be friends with for a long time and deserve a lot of credit with this, too. You can’t get shutouts alone.”

Smith made 23 saves to surpass Nikolai Khabibulin and Ilya Bryzgalov for sole possession of the shutout record after tying the two Feb.13 against the Flames. It was Smith’s third shutout of the season and 33rd of his career.

“To be honest, it’s bittersweet,” he said. “You’d like to be in a playoff spot right now. These personal achievements don’t mean much to me. Looking back on my career when I’m done, I’ll probably cherish them a lot more than I do now. It’s special but bittersweet when you’re on the outside looking in.”

BOX SCORE: Arizona 1, Colorado 0

The Avalanche made a late push to spoil Smith’s bid late in regulation with a shot in-tight from center Nathan MacKinnon a close call, but Smith’s night was relatively routine compared to his counterpart at the other end of the ice.

Colorado goalie Calvin Pickard was spectacular amid a 34-save effort.

“Pickard made some unbelievable saves,” Smith said.

Winger Brendan Perlini accounted for the lone goal, a blistering wrist shot from the left side off the rush at 3:49 of the second period for his third goal in as many games and longest goal streak of his career.

“Just shooting the puck,” he said. “Trying to get as many pucks on net. Hopefully some go in.”

Arizona had many more look that could have widened the gap. Just in the second period alone, the team put 19 pucks on net.

About five of those shots came during one sequence with three different players getting shots off. Pickard’s best stop of the game came later in the period when he got across in time to get a pad on a one-timer from winger Tobias Rieder off a 2-on-1 rush that was set up by Perlini.

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“We had probably three or four really good quality chances that could have kind of put the game out of reach, but you gotta give their goalie a lot of credit,” captain Shane Doan said.

Doan was actually a late arrival to the game after colliding in warm-up with defenseman Jakob Chychrun.

The Fox Sports Arizona broadcast showed Doan circling the Coyotes’ zone before skating along center ice and looking slightly behind him as he passed defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson before crashing into Chychrun. Both players fell to the ice with Chychrun’s helmet flying off. Doan wasn’t wearing a helmet.

“I didn’t know it was him that hit me,” Doan said. “I was looking back at ‘O’ and got hit. I had no idea who it was that hit me. It was one of those ones I haven’t been hit that hard in a long time.”

Doan immediately tried to get up but stumbled a bit before getting to his feet. He appeared to catch Chychrun’s left shoulder square in the chest.

“I got the wind knocked out of me, and that doesn’t feel very good,” he said. “But that was about the extent of it. I was fine.”

After doctors saw the incident on video, they wanted to put Doan through concussion protocol.

“I said, ‘We could put another player in if he’s not going to play,’” coach Dave Tippett said. “‘But where are we?’ They said, ‘We’ll let you know in a few minutes.’ I said, ‘The game’s starting in a few minutes.’” Tippett, ultimately, decided not to scratch Doan.

“When I went to him and talked to him before the game, I said, ‘How you doing, Doaner?’” said Tippett, who explained he hadn’t seen a situation like this in his 33 years in the game. “He said, ‘I’m good.’”

With about 6:30 remaining in the first period, Doan returned to the bench and after going for a skate during an ensuing TV timeout, he took his first shift with 5:54 to go in the period.

“It was a little different,” he said of joining the action late, “but I felt great. I was fine after.”

Once at full strength, the Coyotes seemed to find their stride in the second period and they also were mostly in control during the third with Smith making 12 saves in the frame – his most out of any period.

“The way he plays, he’s special,” Doan said. “He’s as athletic and as capable as any goalie in the NHL. When he’s on, I’d put him against anybody.”

The win was also Smith’s 127th with the franchise, which moved him into third place after he tied Khabibulin at 126 Saturday.

Although his individual statistics are far below current league leaders (he’s 18-20-7 with a .914 save percentage and 2.93 goals-against average), this has been a steady season for Smith. He’s been mostly healthy after missing about a month early with a left MCL sprain – this after he lost approximately three months last season to undergo core-muscle surgery.

Since taking care of that, he’s appeared to find a relatively consistent groove and adding these accolades during this season when he’s seemed to enjoy a bit of resurgence is appropriate.

“He’s been kind of the backbone here for a long time now,” Tippett said. “So it’s fitting he gets those accomplishments.”

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.

Key player

Coyotes goalie Mike Smith posted 23 saves for his third shutout of the season and 22nd with the Coyotes to surpass Nikolai Khabibulin and Ilya Bryzgalov for the franchise record.

Key moment

Winger Brendan Perlini scored the Coyotes’ lone goal off a wrist shot at 3:49 of the second period.

Key number

34 saves by Avalanche goalie Calvin Pickard kept this game close.

View from the press box

What a tear winger Brendan Perlini has gone on lately with three goals in his last three games, and all three have been impressive wrist shots. Perlini’s quick release seems to be fooling goalies, but the power he also packs in the shot looks tough to handle to – a combination that is clearly helping him assert himself as an up-and-coming goal scorer in the NHL.