Special teams powers Rangers past Coyotes
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Special teams have been a strong point for the New York Rangers, and an Achilles heel for the Arizona Coyotes this season. That was the simple storyline in New York's 6-3 win on Thursday at Gila River Arena.
New York scored four power-play goals in seven opportunities, the key one a deft deflection by Matt Puempel of Ryan McDonagh's shot from the point on a power play to provide the game winner with 5:20 left in regulation.
The victory was New York's seventh straight win over the Coyotes and dropped Arizona to 0-5 on this now-concluded five-game homestand. It marked the first time in Coyotes/Jets franchise history that the team had failed to register a point in a homestand of at least five games.
Puempel recorded his first career hat trick for New York, which also got goals from Nick Holden, Chris Kreider and 19 saves from Antti Raanta.
Christian Dvorak, Anthony Duclair and Tobias Rieder scored for Arizona, which got 26 saves from Mike Smith.
New York took an early lead on a power play with Coyotes center Jordan Martinook in the box for tripping.
Puempel sent a pass to the slot from behind the net that was intended for defenseman Nick Holden. Coyotes defenseman Alex Goligoski tried to break up the pass but he redirected it between goalie Mike Smith's pads for a 1-0 Rangers lead at 2:24.
Holden got the goal that eluded him on another power play at 8:01 of the first. J.T. Miller circled the net and centered a pass to Holden, who banged it past Smith for a 2-0 lead. It was Holden's third goal in the last two games.
Following those two goals, the Coyotes had allowed eight opponent power-play goals in 14 chances on this five-game homestand. Before this homestand, Arizona had killed 42 of 45 opponents' power plays at home this season, which was the best percentage in the NHL.
Dvorak cut the lead in half when his shot from the slot deflected off Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei and past Raanta at 15:16 of the first period.
New York restored a two-goal lead when Kreider redirected Holden's shot from the high slot past Smith's glove hand at 1:13 of the second period. Kreider has six goals and seven points in his last six games against the Coyotes.
Duclair cut the lead to 3-2 late in the second period when he got around Skjei with a slick move in which he slipped the puck through the defenseman's skates just inside the Rangers blue line. Duclair tried to pass the puck on his backhand to Dvorak. Instead, it deflected off Dan Girardi's stick and over Raanta's shoulder for Duclair's third goal of the season and second in as many games at 15:32
The Coyotes tied the game on Rieder's power-play goal at 7:32 of the third period on which Martin Hanzal recorded his 300th career point, but Puempel provided the game-winner. J.T. Miller added an empty-net goal and Puempel scored again with 16.5 seconds left. After that final goal, Smith swung his stick and broke it on the goalpost.
NOTES: Coyotes RW Ryan White missed his third straight game with what coach Dave Tippett called a nagging lower-body injury. He is still day-to-day. ... Coyotes LW Max Domi (hand) and C Brad Richardson (fractured right tibia and fibula) are out indefinitely. ... Rangers RW Pavel Buchnevich (back) did not join the team on its two-game road trip. Coach Alain Vigneault hopes he'll start practicing next week. ... Rangers RW Rick Nash (groin) is day to day. C Mika Zibanejad (broken fibula) is out until at last mid-January. ... Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist (flu) skated with the extras on Thursday morning at Gila River Arena. He is hoping to return Saturday in Colorado. ... When RW Radim Vrbata scored on a penalty shot Tuesday against Dallas, it marked the first successful penalty shot for the Coyotes at home in nine years. The player that scored on that penalty shot on Dec. 29. 2007 against Detroit was Vrbata.