Monday's NHL Capsules

CHICAGO (AP) - Mike Smith made 39 saves and the Phoenix Coyotes scored three times in the final period to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 on Monday night and capture their opening-round series in six games.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored in the second and Gilbert Brule, Antoine Vermette and Kyle Chipchura had goals in the third as the Coyotes won a first-round series for the first time since moving to Phoenix for the 1996-97 season. It is the first series triumph for the franchise since 1987 when it was still the Winnipeg Jets.

The Coyotes won all three games at the United Center - Monday night's game was the first in the series not to be decided in overtime - and now move on to play Nashville in the conference semifinals.

RANGERS 3, SENATORS 2

OTTAWA (AP) - Brad Richards scored the go-ahead goal and Derek Stepan had a goal and two assists as the top-seeded New York Rangers staved off elimination in the Eastern Conference.

The series heads back to New York for Game 7 on Thursday. It's the first Game 7 in any sport at Madison Square Garden in 17 years.

Not even the return of Daniel Alfredsson in front of the fired-up home crowd at Scotiabank Place could help the eighth-seeded Senators complete the upset.

The Rangers broke through in the second with three goals after going six straight periods without scoring.

Chris Neil gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead in the first with a power-play goal and Jason Spezza cut it to 3-2 with 39 seconds left to play in the third.