Havlat's hat trick sparks Sens' rout of Coyotes
OTTAWA -- Still hoping for a shot at playing in the Olympics, Martin
Havlat put on a show for the wrong decision-maker.
Havlat had his second career three-goal game Thursday night to lead the
Ottawa Senators to a 6-0 win over the Phoenix Coyotes.
With Phoenix managing partner Wayne Gretzky -- who is also the general
manager of Canada's Olympic team -- looking on, the 20-year-old Czech
scored twice in the first and added his third goal of the game -- and
14th of the season -- with 12:22 remaining in the third.
"I'm a big fan of Gretzky, so it was nice to score goals in front of
him," Havlat said.
While he was not one of nine players added to the Czech Republic's
Olympic team earlier in the day, Havlat was confident that he'll get to
play for his country in the Olympics, sooner or later.
Final rosters are due Dec. 22.
"It would mean a lot to be named to the team, but I'm just 20 so I will
not be mad if I don't make the team," Havlat said. "I will be there for
the next one, for sure."
Mike Fisher scored twice and Ivan Ciernik scored his first of the
season for the Senators, who have won their last three home games.
Fisher scored just 47 seconds after Havlat made it 4-0, and added his
second of the game with 2:12 left after defenseman Chris Phillips fed
him a breakaway pass up the middle from the edge of the Senators'
crease.
"I was hoping he saw me," Fisher said. "He put it on the tape -- a
perfect pass -- and luckily I finished it off."
Patrick Lalime, who assisted on Fisher's second goal, stopped 18 shots
to record his fourth shutout of the season as Ottawa remained
undefeated in its last three games.
"We didn't give them a lot of good scoring chances, and we played
really well," Lalime said.
The Coyotes have lost two straight after going undefeated in their
previous five games.
Ottawa, which held a 39-18 margin in shots, took a 3-0 lead in the
first while outshooting Phoenix 15-1 in the period.
"For some reason we were as flat as flat can be, and that's something
we're going to have to address," Coyotes coach Bob Francis said.
Havlat opened the scoring 6:13 in, just 26 seconds after the Senators
killed off Zdeno Chara's double-minor penalty without allowing a shot.
Radek Bonk left a drop pass for a falling Havlat, who got up off his
knees to skate in on Sean Burke and fire a shot over the Coyotes
goalie's right shoulder.
"Obviously it's frustrating not to generate anything off the power
play," Phoenix forward Shane Doan said. "It gave them momentum coming
off that. They got a quick goal and started rolling."
Ciernik made it 2-0 with his first goal of the season at 10:45.
The Senators had a 10-0 lead in shots before Doan registered Phoenix's
first shot on Lalime 12:26 into the period.
Havlat scored his second goal of the period at 13:51 to put Ottawa up
by three when he redirected Chris Phillips' shot from the point.
Havlat beat Burke once again 7:38 into the third to make it 4-0 and
complete his hat trick, prompting the Corel Centre crowd of 17,585 to
throw a number of baseball caps onto the ice.
Fisher scored at 8:25 and added his seventh of the season at 17:48,
beating Burke on a breakaway.
Notes: Gretzky, who watched the game from a luxury box along with
league commissioner Gary Bettman, was given a warm ovation when he was
announced to the crowd. . . . The Coyotes finished their four-game road
trip 0-2-2. . . . Havlat got his first career hat trick against Atlanta
on March 14. . . . The Senators are 9-1-2 in their last 12 games at the
Corel Centre.