NHL Amonte nets game-winner as Flyers defeat Coyotes

Goalie Robert Esche outdueled Sean Burke.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Robert Esche had trouble controlling his emotions the last time he played against his best friend, Sean Burke.
This time he had no problem staying calm -- or stopping the puck.
Esche stopped 18 shots and Tony Amonte scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, leading the Philadelphia Flyers to their 11th straight victory at home, 3-2 over the Phoenix Coyotes on Friday night.
"I was so excited to play against Sean," Esche said. "Last year, he beat us pretty good. I took another step today because last year I wasn't ready. Tonight, I was calm the whole game."
Esche lost 4-0 to Burke and the Coyotes last December in Phoenix.
Esche, traded to Philadelphia before last season, learned a lot from Burke when the two goaltenders played together with the Coyotes.
"I was a real head case when I came up. I did a lot of dumb things," Esche said. "He got on me, really taught me how to play the game."
Esche's relationship with Burke actually began more than 10 years ago. Burke was playing an exhibition game with the New Jersey Devils in Utica, N.Y. and Esche was just a young fan. Burke gave Esche his stick that day, and the two later became close friends. Esche still has the stick.
Jim Vandermeer and John LeClair also scored for the NHL-leading Flyers, who are 12-0-2 at the Wachovia Center this season -- the only team unbeaten at home.
Flyers rolling
Branko Radivojevic and Andrei Nazarov scored for the Coyotes, who were unbeaten in their last four games. Burke, a former Flyers goalie, had 28 saves.
"They are a tough team, a deep team," Coyotes coach Bob Francis said. "They are big, strong and they come at you in waves."
Amonte gave Philadelphia a 2-1 lead midway through the second period with his ninth goal. Jeremy Roenick set it up with a crisp cross-ice pass to Amonte, who slapped it past Burke.
Amonte and Roenick also are former Coyotes. Roenick signed with the Flyers as a free agent in 2001. Amonte came over in a deal last March.
LeClair gave the Flyers a 3-1 lead on a power-play goal 1:18 into the third period. But Nazarov cut it to 3-2 with his first goal just 16 seconds later.
Esche kept it there with a nice save, smothering a shot by Chris Gratton, who also once played for the Flyers, with 27 seconds left.
The Coyotes took a 1-0 lead on Radivojevic's goal with 12 seconds left in the first period. Vandermeer tied it at 1 just 2:59 into the second period with his first goal of the season.
Hurricanes 1, Canadiens 1
At Raleigh, N.C., Mike Ribeiro scored a power-play goal with 5:49 left in regulation as Montreal extended its unbeaten streak to four games (2-0-2).
Jose Theodore stopped 36 shots for the Canadiens.
Kevyn Adams scored his first career short-handed goal for Carolina.
Thrashers 6, Mighty Ducks 2
At Atlanta, Marc Savard scored two goals and Byron Dafoe made 35 saves in his first victory in 10 months as Atlanta picked up just its second victory in six games.
Slava Kozlov scored and assisted on three other goals for the Thrashers. J.P. Vigier, Jeff Cowan and Serge Aubin also had goals.
Joffrey Lupul scored twice for Anaheim.
Flames 2, Wild 1
At Calgary, Alberta, Jarome Iginla scored with 22.8 seconds remaining in regulation as Calgary earned at least a point in its ninth straight game (6-0-1-2).
Shean Donovan also scored for the Flames.
Pascal Dupuis scored for Minnesota, which lost for the first time in 47 games (42-1-4) when leading after two periods, a streak that dated to March 5, 2002.