Coyotes 4, Senators 1
OTTAWA -- One way or another, a losing streak was coming to an end Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre.
Wingers Brad Richardson and Mikkel Boedker ensured it was the Arizona Coyotes' four-game drought that was stopped.
Their third-period goals 1:18 apart and the steady goaltending of Anders Lindback propelled the Coyotes to a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators.
The loss was the fourth in a row for Ottawa.
While Boedker finished with a hat trick, Richardson scored the winner at 14:31 of the third, snapping a 1-1 tie when he spotted a loose puck just behind Senators goalie Craig Anderson and dived to swat it into the net for his first goal of the season.
Boedker bumped the lead to two with his second of the night, jumping on a Senators mistake in the defensive zone, then iced it with an empty-netter as Anderson sat on the bench for an extra attacker with 2:01 left.
Making his first start of the season for the Coyotes (4-3-1), Lindback stopped 35 shots. Anderson made 21 saves.
Defenseman Cody Ceci had the lone goal for the Senators (3-3-2).
Boedker scored the lone goal of a first period that saw both teams register eight shots on goal.
With just under two minutes until the intermission, he took a pass from defenseman Oliver-Edman Larsson and neatly stepped around the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson, before charging to the net and beating Anderson with a backhand just inside the goalie's glove-side post.
The Senators had the only power play in the first period, and twice during the opportunity winger Bobby Ryan was stopped cold by Lindback. At even strength moments later, center Kyle Turris was sent in alone, but Lindback denied him as well.
Ceci brought the Senators even from a 1-0 deficit with his first of the season, at 18:11 of the second period, with Ottawa's 24th shot on net.
The goal was set up by two nice passes.
Winger Mark Stone started the play, dropping the puck to winger Bobby Ryan just inside the Coyotes' blue line. Ryan, who had seven of the Senators' 23 shots to that point, decided this time to dish off. His backhand pass through the slot found its way to Ceci, who one-timed a shot behind Lindback.
NOTES: Senators LW Mike Hoffman missed the game with a lower body injury that isn't expected to keep him out long. To fill his roster spot, the Senators recalled C Mac McCormick, who made his NHL debut. ... Coyotes C Antoine Vermette missed the game with a lower body injury, snapping his iron-man streak at 482 games, the second longest of all current players. ... Senators D Marc Methot missed his third game after a concussion. Earlier in the day, Methot said he felt great and was good to go. ... Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said he gave G Anders Lindback his first start of the season to rest No. 1 goalie Mike Smith and provide him with a chance to spend a few days working with goalie coach John Elkin. Consequently, for the fifth time eight games, the Senators faced a backup. ... The Coyotes play the fourth of a five-game trip when they travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs on Monday. The Senators next see action Wednesday, when their four-game homestand concludes with a visit by the Calgary Flames.