Coyotes march to 2-0 as Flyers open with win over Devils

Reuters/Los Angeles

Martin Erat of the Nashville Predators skates with the puck under pressure from Martin Hanzal of the Phoenix Coyotes in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Jobing.com Arena on Sunday in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Predators 5-3

The Phoenix Coyotes beat visiting Nashville 5-3 on Sunday without their signature playoff drama to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semi-finals. The third-seeded Coyotes have relied on overtime triumphs and heroics from goaltender Mike Smith to reach the second round for the first time in franchise history, but needed only a dominant second period to tighten their grip on the best-of-seven series.  Martin Hanzal, whose assist set up the OT game-winner in the series opener on Friday, led from the front with a goal in the second period in which Radim Vrbata and Taylor Pyatt also scored to put the home side up 4-2. “We didn’t totally rely on (Smith) but he was huge again for us,” said Phoenix winger Shane Doan, who notched the game’s final goal in the third period. “We’ve had the lead in the third in a few games but haven’t played the way we wanted to. Tonight was a little closer to that.” The Predators will try to claw back into their series beginning with Game Three on Wednesday in Nashville. They briefly pulled within 4-3 on Ryan Suter’s score early in the third but Doan quickly halted their momentum with his late tip-in. Pekka Rinne made 34 saves for the Predators and Smith made 30 stops on a night he did not have to carry the load. In Eastern Conference action, postseason performer Danny Briere scored two goals, including the overtime winner, to propel the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils in Game One of the semi-finals. Briere, who had scored 104 points in 103 playoff games leading into the game, blasted a shot from the point 4:36 into overtime to continue his outstanding postseason record. The goal came two minutes after he had a power-play goal waved off when officials ruled he had kicked the puck into the net.