Scheifele keys third-period surge as Jets top Coyotes
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Mark Scheifele scored a go-ahead power-play goal early in the third period, Steve Mason stopped 29 shots for his first win of the season and the Winnipeg Jets dealt Arizona its fourth consecutive loss with a 4-1 decision Saturday night.
Scheifele also assisted on Kyle Connor's fourth goal of the season later in the Jets' three-goal third period and Blake Wheeler added two assists as Winnipeg rebounded from a 5-2 loss at Vegas on Friday to improve to 9-2-3 in its last 14 games.
Patrik Laine, who scored a goal for a fifth consecutive game, found the empty net with 17 seconds remaining for his ninth of the season. He also had an assist.
Arizona, an NHL-worst 2-14-3, got a first-period goal from Zac Rinaldo but went 0-for-4 on the power play to fall to 1-6-1 at Gila River Arena. The Coyotes faded in the third period for the second successive game, following up a 3-2 shootout loss Thursday in St. Louis in which they led 2-1 in the final period.
With the score tied at 1, Coyotes right wing Christian Fischer went off for tripping 1:28 into the third and Scheifele took advantage by scoring his 10th of the season and 100th career. Two Arizona defenders shifted to Wheeler's side of the ice, leaving Schiefele wide open along the edge of the slot for a wrist shot that eluded goalie Antti Raanta, who stopped 17 of 20 shots.
Connor scored similarly about 5 1/2 minutes later, skating undefended toward the crease to take Wheeler's pass from behind the net and shove it into the net before Raanta could react.
The Coyotes got off their usual good start -- they've scored the opening goal in 13 of 19 games -- as Rinaldo was credited with his second of the season by deflecting Alex Goligoski's shot past Mason at 14:33 of the first following a four-shot flurry.
But Matt Hendricks answered for Winnipeg in the second with his first goal since Feb. 16, a knuckleball-type shot off a long rebound.
Mason came into his first start since Oct. 27 with an 0-3-1 record and a 4.44 goals-against average, but won for the first time since April 8.
NOTES: The Coyotes presented head equipment manager Stan Wilson with a commemorative saddle for recently working his 2,000th game. ... The teams meet again Tuesday night in Winnipeg. ... Coyotes D Niklas Hjalmarsson missed his seventh consecutive game with an upper-body injury. ... The home team has won eight of the last nine games in the series. ... Arizona has scored the first goal in 13 of 19 games. ... Arizona played eight of its previous 10 on the road, mostly in the East, and now plays its next four away from home, three in the Eastern time zone. ... Arizona D Alex Goligoski played in his 180th consecutive game despite being injured in the third period Thursday.