Sabres 2, Coyotes 1
PHOENIX -- Buffalo rookie center Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist and goaltender Chad Johnson won his second game in three nights in the Sabres' 2-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday at Gila River Arena.
Eichel and right winger Jamie McGinn scored power-play goals in the second period and Johnson made 26 saves when the Sabres (19-23-4) won for the fourth time in five games.
Coyotes center Antoine Vermette scored his seventh goal of the season when he drove a shot through Johnson's pads to break up the shut out at 8:04 of the third period.
Vermette's goal was the Coyotes' first in 1:31:22, since right winger Shane Doan's goal late in the second period of a 3-2 overtime loss to Detroit on Thursday. New Jersey shut out the Coyotes 2-0 on Saturday.
Eichel, the second player taken in the 2015 draft, has 14 goals, tied for second among NHL rookies with Detroit center Dylan Larkin. McGinn has 10 goals.
Goaltender Louis Dominque had 26 saves for the Coyotes (22-18-5) but lost for the first time in 11 starts this season since winning the No. 1 job following an injury to Mike Smith. Dominque is 7-1-3 since making his first start Dec. 19.
The Coyotes (22-18-5) lost their third straight, one in overtime, in the fifth game of a seven-game homestand. They were 0-for-5 on the power play for the second straight game.
Buffalo killed six minutes of penalties in the first period, including a double-minor on defenseman Jake McCabe for high sticking left winger Jordan Martinook near the crease just 4:27 into the game.
Johnson made nine saves while the Sabres were short-handed in the period, four during the double-minor and five after they were penalized for having too many men on the ice at 13:59.
Left winger Evander Kane was given a penalty shot when he was dragged down by right winger Mikkel Beodker 78 seconds into the second period, but his shot missed wide left.
Eichel's goal at 10:07 of the second period came on a 5-on-3 power play, when he took a cross-ice pass from defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and put a slap shot past Domingue on the blocker side.
McGinn gave the Sabres their 2-0 lead at 17:35 of the second period when his shot from the right of the crease caromed in off defenseman Michael Stone, who was attempting to help clear the puck. Eichel and Ristolainen had assists.
Arizona defenseman Zbynek Michalek was struck in the face by a puck that ricocheted off a stick and left a pool of blood on the ice before being helped off with 17:50 remaining in the first period. He returned to action later in the period.
NOTES: The Coyotes played parts of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech on the video board before game. Fans reacted with applause. ... Buffalo C David Legwand played in his 1,100th game, the 15th active player to reach that milestone. ... Sabres linemates C Ryan O'Reilly (21 minutes, 54 seconds) and LW Evander Kane (21:01) ranked first and third among NHL forwards in ice time this season through Sunday. ... Coyotes RW Steve Downie was assigned to AHL Springfield on Monday after clearing waivers. Downie, who has three goals and six points in 25 games, signed a one-year, $1.75 million contract this summer. ... Arizona's newly acquired D Jarred Tinordi and D Klas Dahlback were healthy scratches Monday. The Coyotes have eight defensemen after trades that landed Tinordi and Kevin Connauton late last week.