Vrbata's two goals lead Coyotes past Canucks
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Ever since they fell off the playoff pace, the Arizona Coyotes have insisted they were focused not on draft position but on progress. They made some more of the latter Thursday.
Radim Vrbata netted a pair of goals, and Luke Schenn and Alex Burmistrov also scored as the Coyotes beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 at Gila River Arena.
The Coyotes (30-41-10) improved to 17-15-4 over their past 36 games, and they passed Vancouver (30-41-9) into 28th place in the NHL standings.
Louis Domingue made 26 saves for the Coyotes to improve to 6-0-1 in his past seven games.
Nikolay Goldobin, Brock Boeser and Daniel Sedin scored for Vancouver, which got 18 saves from Ryan Miller but lost its sixth consecutive game.
The Coyotes grabbed a 1-0 lead on Schenn's first goal of the season, at the 6:00 mark of the first period. Schenn crashed the net in time to collect the rebound of Brendan Perlini's shot at the right post and push it past Miller. It was also Schenn's first goal in his last 100 games.
Vancouver tied the game at 7:51 of the first when Sedin's touch pass found Goldobin, who slipped a shot under Domingue's arm.
Vrbata restored the Coyotes' lead 55 seconds into the second period when Jakob Chychrun's shot from the point bounced off the end boards, around the net and onto Vrbata's stick at the far post.
Burmistrov widened the lead to 3-1 at 9:40 of the period when he tapped in Alex Goligoski's pass at the far post for his fifth goal in 25 games with the Coyotes -- and his fourth in his last four games.
Vrbata made it 4-1 at 16:11 of the second period when his shot from the left of the slot trickled under Miller and in for his 20th goal of the season. It is the sixth time that Vrbata has reached at least 20 goals. Five have come with the Coyotes, the other with the Canucks.
Boeser stuffed in a loose puck at the side of the net to cut the deficit to 4-2 at 1:47 of the third period.
Sedin ripped a wrist shot past Domingue from the left circle at 12:40 to cut the margin to 4-3. Brother Henrik Sedin had the lone assist on the goal, marking the 706th time that the Sedins both earned points on the same goal.
NOTES: Canucks twin brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin said they plan to finish their careers in Vancouver. The Sedins have full no-movement clauses in their contracts, which they would use to veto trades, and both said they would sign only with Vancouver when their contracts expire after next season. If the Canucks don't want them, they plan to retire. ... Coyotes RWs Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata returned to the lineup after one-game absences due to lower-body injuries. ... Coyotes rookie LW Clayton Keller was a healthy scratch. ... Canucks LW Loui Eriksson (leg), RW Jack Skille (ankle), G Jacob Markstrom (knee), C Brendan Gaunce (undisclosed) and D Joseph Cramarossa (foot) all missed the game. RW Derek Dorsett (clavicle), C Markus Granlund (wrist), RW Anton Rodin (knee) and D Erik Gudbranson (wrist) are on injured reserve.