EDMONTON, Alberta, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Mike Ribeiro gave Phoenix a 4-goal cushion early in the second period Friday and the Coyotes then had to fight off an Edmonton comeback to down the Oilers 4-3.
Edmonton closed within a single goal with 12:10 still to play, but could not complete the rally and wound up losing its sixth game in a row. Phoenix ended a two-game skid.
Mikkel Boedker, Radim Vrbata and Derek Morris all scored in a span of 4:02 late in the first period to seemingly put the Coyotes in control.
Ribeiro added to the Phoenix lead by deflecting a shot past Ilya Bryzgalov three minutes into the middle period.
Edmonton's comeback was started by Matt Hendricks late in the second period and both David Perron and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored in the third to give the Oilers hope.
Mike Smith was able to keep Edmonton off the board the rest of the way and earned the victory with 35 saves.
Bryzgalov stopped 25-of-29 shots.
