Smith gets an extended break

--The Coyotes decided to give Mike Smith a nice long rest going into Thursday's big showdown in Los Angeles with the Kings. Smith had won five straight and was coming off a 38-save effort against Chicago on Saturday, but he had played five games in seven days, and the Coyotes have seen what happens when fatigue creeps into his game.

The Coyotes want the Smith who has allowed only three goals in the last four games between the pipes against the Kings. Resting Monday in Vancouver also made sense because Smith didn't look good in a 5-0 loss to the Canucks in Phoenix in November. Coach Dave Tippett went with Jason LaBarbera, and while LaBarbera played very well in stopping 21 of 22 shots, he lost his sixth consecutive decision dating back to Dec. 21.

--The Coyotes' defense that was the catalyst in Phoenix's five-game winning streak played well again Monday. Vancouver, the No. 3 offensive team in the league, had just four shots in the first period and only 22 all night.

The Phoenix penalty kill was also impressive. Now firmly in the NHL's top 10 after an awful stretch during midseason, the Coyotes not only shut out the league's top power-play unit on three tries, but also held the Canucks to only one or two real scoring chances.

Phoenix got only one point, but all in all, the Coyotes played a lot like they did against Detroit, San Jose and Chicago -- three other Western Conference teams ahead of them in the standings.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I do enough of them in practice, I should be prepared. Either they picked something up or I was doing something wrong. I looked pretty foolish out there." -- Coyotes goalie Jason LaBarbera, on the four shootout goals he allowed in six chances Monday.

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