News » as Jussi Jokinen scored the go-ahead

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Shane Doan stood in front of his stall scowling, the crimson in his cheeks as much from the anger inside as the physical toll from 60 minutes of give-it-all-you-got hockey. His answers were terse, key words repeated for emphasis. Once he was done with the short interview session, Doan put his head down and marched toward the back locker room in quick, purposeful steps, the rage seeming to build as he went along. Faced with a must-win game in a season that was starting to slip away, the Phoenix Coyotes fell flat, losing to the team with the NHLs worst record — at home, no less. It was more than the Coyotes captain could take. "I dont even know what our level is because were barely above average right now, if average," Doan said after the Coyotes lost 3-2 to Buffalo on Thursday night. "Its not acceptable. Not even close." The loss continued a downward spiral for the Coyotes. Playing with an owner for the first time in four years, Phoenix opened 14-4-3 for the second-best start for a franchise that started in Winnipeg in 1979. Since then, inconsistency has reigned. Once a team that relied on its grittiness and defence-first mindset, Phoenix has instead become a team that has been caught in a back-and-forth struggle, winning some games by outscoring opponents, others by occasionally getting back to its stay-at-home roots. Phoenix had a stretch with one win in six games at the start of 2014 and has lost four of six after the setback against the last-place Sabres Thursday night in the second game of a critical five-game homestand. Once in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, the Coyotes are ninth in the West with 60 points, three behind Vancouver. "It is frustrating," said Coyotes forward Antoine Vermette, who has eight goals in eight games and a six-game points streak. "You dont want to look too far (ahead) in your schedule, but we know our situation." What made the loss to Buffalo harder to swallow was that the Coyotes had seemed to get back into their defence-and-counter groove Tuesday night against Los Angeles. Playing arguably its best game of the season, Phoenix limited most of the rival Kings chances to the outside, generated numerous good scoring chances and went on to win 3-0 behind backup goalie Thomas Greiss second shutout in three starts. To keep climbing up the standings, or at least maintain their positioning, all the Coyotes had to do was knock off the Sabres, who came into the game with the fewest wins (14), points (36) and goals (101) in the NHL. Phoenix got off to a solid start, out-shooting Buffalo 21-12 in the first period. The Sabres ended up scoring first, but the Coyotes rallied with two goals in a span of 18 seconds of the second period to go up 2-1. After that, the Coyotes sat back, almost as if they were waiting out the win instead of going to get it. A series of turnovers led to two goals for the Sabres, putting them up 3-2. A big push by the Coyotes in the third period led nowhere, leading to perhaps the most disheartening loss of the season and one very angry captain. "Were up 2-1 to start the second and we do absolutely nothing, nothing as a group. Absolutely nothing," Doan said. "We have a chance to put a team away when youre up 2-1 at home, and I dont think we got a shot for 12 minutes. Its embarrassing. Its embarrassing." The Coyotes still have time to turn it around. After facing a tough game against Pittsburgh on Saturday night, Phoenix plays its final three games before the Olympic break against teams still in the Western Conference playoff hunt: Chicago and Dallas twice. Once they return, the Coyotes will have 24 games left to make a push. Theyve done it in the past, including a late-season run to the conference finals in 2012. To do it again, they will have to play much better than they have lately. Brandon Roy Jersey . Lisicki beat South African Chanelle Scheepers by a 7-5, 7-6 (7-1) margin. Next up for the Wimbledon runner-up will be Slovenian Polona Hercog, who outlasted Czech Petra Cetkovska 6-4, 5-7, 6-1. Custom Portland Trail Blazers Jerseys . Fifth-seeded Cilic gained his fourth title in Zagreb and became the third Croat overall to win at least 10 career titles. Cilic also lifted his career record in Zagreb to 22-4, winning 20 of his last 21 matches at the event. http://www.blazersteamofficial.com/Jusuf...Blazers-Jersey/. Consider it received. Attacking on offence early and often, the Penguins topped the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Saturday night as Jussi Jokinen scored the go-ahead goal in the third period to help give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference playoff series. Al-Farouq Aminu Jersey . The Toronto Maple Leafs were holding a news conference, so they got curious. It didnt take long for them to find out via social media that coach Randy Carlyle was coming back — with a two-year extension — and assistants Greg Cronin, Scott Gordon and Dave Farrish were being let go. Caleb Swanigan Jersey . Klose has a bruised pelvic bone and abdominal muscle problems but team doctors are trying to get him fit in time for the match. Bender has a hamstring injury. Germany is already without half-dozen players, due to injury or bad form. RICHMOND, Va. -- Kyle Busch led from start to finish, usually by plenty, and ended an eight-race NASCAR Nationwide Series winless streak Friday night with his fifth career victory at Richmond International Raceway. Busch started on the pole, routinely built leads of several seconds and was never really challenged. Busch said he hoped he would be strong, but "you never think you are going to be that good." It was the second time in Buschs career that he led a race in the series from start to finish. He also was the last person to accomplish the feat, the first time coming in Phoenix in February 2011. "Good car, good decisions and good executing there tonight," Busch said in Victory Lane. Kevin Harvick appeared to be closing in on him with about 40 laps to go, and said his car was stronger than Buschs on long runs, but that the final caution eliminated any chance he had of overtaking the leader. "It took about 30 laps for us to swing the time the other way," Harvick said. "Just didnt have a chance after the last caution come out. I think we would have caught him if that caution doesnt come out." Harvick won the April race at the track for his record seventh Richmond series victory. The sixth and final caution bunched the field for a restart with 18 laps to go, and Busch again made quick work of his competition, cruuising to his record-extending 67th victory in the series.dddddddddddd He won by 1.323 seconds. Busch said he did consider what would happen if he lost the lead after being so dominant. "It crosses your mind, for sure, but you just think about the situation," he said, and planning in advance not to get too worked up, but to remember how he got in front and work to regain the lead. "I planned all that ahead," he said. "Fortunately, I didnt have to use it." It was the fourth victory of the season for Busch, but first since May 31 at Dover. Hes finished second four times since, including two weeks ago at Bristol when he led 161 of 300 laps, but Ryan Blaney beat him on a restart with six laps to go. "Pretty pumped about being back in Victory Lane, being back in Victory Lane here at Richmond," Busch said. "Its been a while when you think about it." Nationwide Series points leader Chase Elliott overtook Harvick after the final restart to claim second. Harvick was third, followed by Blaney and Brian Scott. Regan Smith, who is second in points, finished sixth and went from 15 points down to 19. Like Harvick, Elliott thought he might have had a chance to close in without the final caution flag. "We made gains really throughout the night and we were getting closer and closer," he said. 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