Jovanski Gets First Career Hat Trick

Added on Nov 04, 2010 by J Merrill in

NHL

Ed Jovanski, a fifteen year veteran of the NHL, scored his first hat trick and lead the Coyotes to a 4-3 win over Nashville Monday night. This was not only the first time he did it, but it was was the first by a Coyotes/Jets defenseman in franchise history (2,415 games) dating to 1979. Jovanski has scored 131 goals in 979 with three different teams. He was the first overall pick in the 1994 NHL draft.
Coyotes Head Coach Dave Tippett said “It was a heck of an effort on his part, He was opportunistic in getting the goals, but he played a solid game for us, too. Him and (Sami) Lepisto were a good pair for us out there, and it’s good to see him get rewarded for that work.”

Jovanski was able to kick off the scoring, and then was able to tie for the Coyotes early in the second. After Stempniak tied it for Phoenix, it was Jovanski’s goal that put them ahead, and eventually win the game. “It was nice to contribute offensively and nice to get a win,” Jovanski said after the game. Always a defenseman, Javonski was never much of a lamp lighter. His career high came in Vancouver in 2001 when he scored 17 times for the Canucks. In fact, in the first ten games this year he failed to score for the Coyotes.

Nashville had been the NHL’s best team in one-goal games. They managed to win 23 straight without losing in regulation, and that dates back to Feb. 9. The Predators were solid through the first two periods, getting goals from Bouillon, Kostitsyn and Patric Hornqvist to lead 3-2, but missed some good chances and wore down on the penalty kill in the third period while losing their third straight.

“The first and second periods we played really well, but the third they got some chances and that was it,” Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne said.

Nashville was able to get off to a good start against Phoenix, but they have failed to live up to expectations they have set for themselves early in the season. After scoring a point in all of their first 8 games, but lately they have only been able to win one of their last five. We did a decent job, but we’re going to need to find a way to win some games here,” Predators coach Barry Trotz said.