Coyotes' Vrbata leaves it late vs. Sabres
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- While teammates get traded all around him, Arizona Coyotes right winger Radim Vrbata just keeps rolling.
Vrbata ripped a slap shot through a screen with 18.9 seconds left in regulation as Arizona rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on Sunday at Gila River Arena. The goal gave Vrbata 600 career points and extended his point streak to nine games (4-7-11).
The win snapped a two-game losing streak overall and a six-game losing streak to Buffalo, which was 8-1-1 in its past 10 games against Arizona overall and had won seven straight at Gila River Arena.
Jack Eichel and Evan Rodrigues scored for Buffalo, which fell seven points off the Eastern Conference playoff pace after a pair of losses this weekend on the road. Anders Nilsson made 26 saves for Buffalo.
Max Domi and Jamie McGinn also scored for Arizona, which got 31 saves from Louis Domingue.
Eichel opened the scoring at 18:01 of the first period when he ripped a wrist shot through the screen of Coyotes defenseman Connor Murphy and past goalie Louis Domingue's glove hand for his 14th goal of the season. The goal extended Eichel's point streak to six games.
Evan Rodrigues widened the lead to 2-0 in a 4-on-2 rush just after a Coyotes power play had expired at 9:53 of the second period. Eichel carried the puck into the offensive zone and slipped a cross-ice pass to Jake McCabe on the left wing. McCabe passed right back to Rodrigues for a tap-in into an open net. It was his second goal of the season and second in as many nights.
Eichel has 36 points in 41 games since returning from a high-ankle sprain that sidelined him for the first 21 games of the season. Eichel has 13 points in his last 10 games.
Max Domi pulled the Coyotes within 2-1 at 6:42 of the third period. Sabers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen's clearing attempt deflected off Coyotes right winger Radim Vrbata and onto Domi's stick for a one-timer between the circles.
Jamie McGinn tied the game with his ninth goal of the season, 100th of his career and first in 14 games when he took a bouncing feed from Josh Jooris and buried it at 13:41 of the third period. Jooris was playing center in the wake of Martin Hanzal's trade to Minnesota and Alex Burmistrov's upper-body injury.
NOTES: The Coyotes traded C Martin Hanzal and RW Ryan White to Minnesota for a 2017 first-round pick in 2017, a second-round pick in 2018, a conditional 2019 fourth-round pick and minor league RW Grayson Downing. The conditional pick becomes a third-round pick if Minnesota wins one playoff round; a second-round pick if the Wild win two rounds, assuming Hanzal plays 50 percent of the Wild's playoff games. "It's been a good 10 years but I'm really looking forward to being in the playoffs and stepping on the ice to help Minnesota," Hanzal said. ... Coyotes C Alex Burmistrov missed the game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day to day. ... Coyotes G Mike Smith was feeling well enough to back up Louis Domingue on Sunday, but not well enough to start. Smith missed Friday's game in Dallas with an undisclosed illness. ... Coyotes C Brad Richardson, who fractured two bones in his right leg on Nov. 17, skated with the team on Sunday morning. Richardson, who is on injured reserve, still hopes to return this season. ... The Sabres recalled RW Justin Bailey and LW Evan Rodrigues from Rochester of the AHL. ... Sabres RW William Carrier (knee) is day to day. ... Coyotes RW Radim Vrbata entered the game with a career-high eight-game point streak. ... With Sabres G Robin Lehner banged up from a game against Colorado on Saturday, Anders Nilsson started in goal and the Sabres recalled G Linus Ullmark and he served as the backup.