COYOTES 4, BLACKHAWKS 0: Mike Smith made 39 saves for his first career playoff shutout and visiting Phoenix ended a 25-year postseason drought by winning their Western Conference quarterfinal series against Chicago in six games.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Gilbert Brule and Kyle Chipchura each had a goal and an assist and Antoine Vermette also tallied as the Coyotes advanced to the conference semifinals against the Nashville Predators.

Smith was magnificent once again in frustrating the swarming Blackhawks as Phoenix snapped an 0 for 13 postseason skid, winning a playoff series for the first time since 1987, when the franchise was based in Winnipeg.

The Coyotes capped a 5-0 season against the Blackhawks in Chicago as the road team won for the fifth consecutive time in the series.

Behind the spectacular play of Smith, Phoenix weathered another early onslaught by the Blackhawks, who had a staggering 16-2 edge in shots in the first period.

Chicago continued to dominate in the second period, but the Coyotes played the rope-a-dope tactics perfectly until striking on the power play at 13:14 of the middle session.

Ekman-Larsson one-timed a pass from Keith Yandle that beat a screened Corey Crawford for his first career playoff goal. It was only the sixth shot by the Coyotes, four of which came from the 20-year-old Swede.

Brule doubled the lead at 2:24 of the third period with his second goal in as many games. Chipchura slipped a deft pass from behind the net to Brule, who shoveled the puck over Crawford's glove hand.

The Blackhawks had erased third-period deficits four times in the series to force overtime, but a boarding penalty and game misconduct on Jimmy Hayes gave Phoenix a 5-minute power play.

The Coyotes capitalized on Vermette's redirection at 13:04 for a 3-0 cushion before Chipchura put it out of reach at the 14:56 mark.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Phoenix defenseman Rostislav Klesla was injured 69 seconds into the game when he appeared to take the butt end of Brendan Morrison's stick to the right eye area. He returned in the second period wearing a full cage. ... Blackhawks rookie Andrew Shaw returned from a three-game suspension for his shoulder-to-mask hit on Smith in Game 2. ... Chicago right wing Marian Hossa sat out his third straight game after absorbing a vicious hit from Raffi Torres. He visited the team Monday morning, but coach Joel Quenneville said there was no update on his condition. ... Coyotes center Martin Hanzal was back in the lineup after sitting out three games with an undisclosed injury. He scored the winning goal in Game 1.