1st shootout of season comes up short

The Coyotes weren’t expecting extra time when they carried a 2-1 lead late in the third period Friday against the Anaheim Ducks, but the Ducks’ rally gave the Coyotes their first opportunity to test their skills in the shootout.

Wing Radim Vrbata, center Mike Ribeiro and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Coyotes while wing Mik

kel Boedker, center Antoine Vermette and captain Shane Doan were stopped as the Coyotes fell 3-2.

The Coyotes scored twice when facing elimination, with Ribeiro and Ekman-Larsson coming up with clutch goals in the third and fifth rounds. After Ducks wing Jakob Silf

verberg beat goalie Mike Smith in the sixth round, Doan was unable to tie it.

Ribeiro’s goal was particularly slick. He came at Ducks goalie Jo

nas Hiller at full speed, pivoted so his body was facing toward the boards and then used his forehand to send the puck over Hiller’s shoulder.

“He’s a creative guy that way,” coach Dave Tippett said. “Scored a big goal for us. Too bad it couldn’t stand up.”

Ribeiro also was effective in regulation, assisting on Vermette’s goal that tied it at 1.

It was Ribeiro’s fifth point in his past five games, and the goal came on the heels of a Coyotes power play.

Right on track

After being a healthy scratch for two games on the Coyotes’ recent road trip, defenseman David Schlemko made his fourth straight start Saturday against the Red Wings.

“Nobody ever wants to come out,” he said. “But that’s where you have to be a good pro. You have to be ready and keep yourself going, doing extra stuff after practice, and be ready to jump in when you get the call again.”

But when that does happen, Schlemko — a left-handed de- fender — is usually slotted on the right side.

That versatility is an asset that Schlemko hopes keeps him in the lineup, even if playing on his off-wing is sometimes challenging.

“It can be a little bit harder to pull pucks from your backhand to your forehand off the wall,” he said.

“(But) when you’re coming across the blue line and you’ve got the puck in the middle of the ice, you’re still on the outside.”

Kennedy returns

Wing Tim Kennedy played against the Red Wings, his first appearance since the Coyotes signed center Jeff Halpern.

In three games since he was recalled from the American Hockey League, Kennedy chipped in with a pair of assists and was a plus-2.

He was lined up next to Halpern and Kyle Chipchura.

“When you sign with a new team, you sign with them because you think you’ve got a shot to play here,” said Kennedy, who signed a oneyear, two-way deal in the summer.

“That was the reason why I signed here. Things just didn’t go well in camp because it was my fault. I didn’t have a good camp, didn’t play the way I know I can play and just had to go down and wait and work hard.”