Domingue, Coyotes edge Sharks
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Arizona Coyotes coach Dave Tippett has lamented his team's inability to win one-goal games. On Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks, the Coyotes answered their coach's call.
Brad Richardson, Lawson Crouse and Jamie McGinn scored in a second-period barrage and the Coyotes defeated the Sharks 3-2 at Gila River Arena to improve to 3-6 this season and 2-1 at home. The loss was the fourth in six road games for the Sharks, who were an NHL-best 28-10-3 away from home last season.
Louis Domingue made 39 saves for the Coyotes in a sensational performance his team needed badly with starter Mike Smith injured and Domingue struggling through his first six games. Martin Jones made 27 saves for San Jose in his sixth straight start, but he allowed three goals or more for the fourth time this season after three straight starts of allowing just one.
Sharks left winger Patrick Marleau scored his third goal of the season in the first period and former Coyotes forward Mikkel Boedker scored with 11.9 seconds remaining to pull the Sharks within 3-2. It was Boedker's second goal of the season and just his second point.
San Jose jumped on top during a dominant first-period when Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton got caught up ice, creating a 2-on-1 rush for Marleau and right winger Melker Karlsson. With Arizona defenseman Luke Schenn defending, Karlsson fed Marleau at the left hash mark and Marleau beat Domingue inside the far post at the 14:07 mark.
The Coyotes turned the tables early in the second period. After left winger Tobias Rieder missed an opportunity at the left post, Richardson corralled a loose puck in the corner and skated out in front of the net without much resistance. Richardson tucked the puck inside the far post at 3:42 for his fourth goal of the season.
Rookie Crouse scored his first NHL goal when he redirected Connauton's shot from the point 1:08 later to give the Coyotes a 2-1 lead. The Coyotes are nearing a decision on the junior-eligible Crouse, 19, who can only play three more games before the team must decide whether to burn the first year of his entry-level deal or send him back to Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League, per terms of the NHL-CHL agreement.
McGinn widened the lead to 3-1 when his fluttering shot from the point eluded Jones with traffic in front. McGinn has two goals and an assist in four games after missing the first five with an upper-body injury.
Coyotes center Martin Hanzal left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury and did not return. Arizona left winger Tobias Rieder also left the game, in the third period, after taking a David Schlemko shot off the inside of his left leg late in the second period. He skated one nine-second shift to test it in the third period before leaving.
NOTES: Coyotes D Michael Stone missed the game with an upper-body injury that has sidelined him the last two games. He is expected to have more tests for an injury the team did not think would be long-term in nature. ... Injured Coyotes G Mike Smith (left leg) has resumed skating on his own, but has not yet donned pads. The Coyotes are still listing him as week-to-week. ... Coyotes C Dylan Strome returned to the lineup after missing the last four games as a healthy scratch. Strome, the team's first-round pick in 2015 (No. 3 overall) has played only four of Arizona's nine games.