Coyotes Beat Wild In Overtime, 2-1
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Anders Lindback kept Arizona in it when the offense stagnated early, with a little help from the posts. Mikkel Boedker provided the spark that got the Coyotes going and had the finishing touch.
It wasn't always pretty, but that's usually the way it goes for the Coyotes.
Boedker scored his second goal of the night on a power play 34 seconds into overtime, Lindback stopped 27 shots and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Friday to end a five-game losing streak.
"We hung around the game, Lindback made some big saves, we got fortunate on some crossbars and posts, and capitalized on the penalty at the end," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "We'll take the points and move on."
The Wild dominated most of the first two periods, going up on Jared Spurgeon's goal in the second.
Lindback kept the injury-depleted Coyotes in it with some big saves and got a couple of breaks on post shots that caromed away instead of into the goal. Boedker scored on a breakaway late in the second period to tie it and Lindback continued to make tough saves in the third period, assuring Arizona its first point in six games (1-5).
The Coyotes got the second point by drawing penalty 16 seconds into overtime, on a high-sticking call against Zach Parise that he didn't dispute. That gave the Coyotes a 4-on-3 and Boedker closed it out by scoring 18 seconds later, backhanding a rebound past Darcy Kuemper.
"Lindy stood on his head and the posts were his friends," Boedker said. "That what we needed. We needed a win and get back on the winning side of things."
The Wild had plenty of chances to blow the game out early, but had trouble getting pucks past Lindback and the posts behind him. Minnesota hit the post at least five times, including three on one shift.
The Wild also continued their struggles on the power play and in overtime.
Minnesota went 0 for 4 on the power play and has one goal in its past 20 chances, spanning seven games. The loss was the Wild's sixth in seven overtime games this season.
"I thought the power play was very good tonight," Parise said. "We just couldn't get one."
The Coyotes returned home needing a lift after being outscored 24-10 during an 0-5 road trip. They started their six-game home stand short-handed with captain Shane Doan, center Martin Hanzal and goalie Mike Smith in street clothes with lower-body injuries.
The Wild jumped on the depleted Coyotes in the first period, peppering Lindback with one good shot after another. Lindback made some difficult saves to keep them from scoring, including one while on his back during a late power play.
"Obviously, it's nice to make a couple saves, you feel good about yourself," Lindback said.
Minnesota scored early in the second period, though, when Coyotes defenseman Nicklas Grossman gambled by charging Parise near Arizona's blue line. Parise chipped the puck past Grossman and centered to Spurgeon, who one-timed it past Lindback from close range.
The assist extended Parise's points streak against Arizona to 13 games, the NHL's longest active streak by one player against a single opponent.
The Coyotes struggled offensively early, mustering five shots in the first period and needing 10 1/2 minutes to get their first one of the second.
But after the Wild hit the post three times on a shift, Arizona turned a Minnesota turnover into a breakaway for Boedker. He chased the puck down before Kuemper could come to get to it and beat him for his 10th goal of the season.
That sent the Coyotes to the third period tied at 1-all despite being outshot 20-9.
Lindback continued to make big saves, including several during a power play midway through the second, setting up the Coyotes to win it in overtime.
"We did all the right things, it just went the wrong way," said Kuemper, who stopped 18 shots.
NOTES: The start of the game was delayed a few minutes as workers repaired a section of glass in the arena's northwest corner. ... Viktor Tikhonov played in his first game since returning to the Coyotes since being claimed on waivers from Chicago on Sunday. ... Wild LW Chris Porter played his 200th NHL game.
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