GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Conor Garland and Christian Dvorak each scored in a shootout, and the Arizona Coyotes rallied from a three-goal deficit for the second straight game to beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 Wednesday night.
The Coyotes became the eighth team in NHL history to win consecutive games after trailing by at least three goals. Quebec was the only other team to do it facing the same team, against Hartford in 1983.
“It's one of those things where you never stop believing, but we can't have a steady dose of this,” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said.
Arizona came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat Anaheim 4-3 in a testy, fight-filled game Monday night.
The Ducks had a three-goal lead in the second period of the rematch on goals by Max Comtois, Max Jones and Josh Mahura.
The Coyotes again revved it up late, pulling within 3-2 on goals by Tyler Pitlick and Jakob Chychrun less than two minutes apart in the third period. Phil Kessel tied it with 3:21 left in regulation
“We got some good breaks, a couple of good bounces,” Kessel said. "We never thought were were out of it. You get one and momentum seems to be on your side.
Both teams had good chances in the overtime, Anaheim's Ryan Miller and Arizona's Adin Hill traded spectacular saves seconds apart.
Hill, who replaced injured Darcy Kuemper early in the third period, stopped Comtois in the shootout and Rickard Rakell missed the net on Anaheim's final shot.
“We were playing a game and we just started accepting the game, just watching,” Jones said. “We can't do that. We can't accept that.”
The Coyotes played their worst opening period of the season in Monday's win, giving up two goals and another early in the second.
They had a much better start in the rematch, particularly in their own end.
The Ducks still got the first goal, scoring with 12 seconds left in the first period when Comtois poked in a rebound between his legs.
Anaheim dominated early in the second period and Mahura made it 2-0 on a shot from near the blue line as Trevor Zegras flashed in front of Kuemper.
Jones gave the Ducks another 3-0 lead, slipping a backhander under Kuemper on a power play late in the second period.
The Coyotes came to life in the third period after Tocchet pulled Kuemper, scoring when Pitlick deflected a shot by Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Chychrun scored 1:44 later on a shot that hit a skate and a stick out front. Kessel tied it on a slick pass from Clayton Keller.
“We backed off a little bit, but that's how you learn these lessons,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “You have to keep your foot on the gas, keep playing hard.”
PINCH HITTING HILL
Hill has been Arizona's backup goalie the past four games while Antti Raanta has dealt with an upper-body injury.
He had yet to play and was thrust into Wednesday's game without much warning when Kuemper skated off the ice and down the tunnel with the trainer.
Hill was sharp from the start, stopping a few early shots, and made a spectacular save on Isac Lundestrom in the overtime.
“I was kind of told I was hopping on the next whistle, so I grabbed my helmet and stick and hopped out there,” said Hill, who had 14 saves. “You just try to do a little movement, get your eyes going a little bit and try to do whatever you can."
ICE CHIPS
Jones played his 100th career NHL game. ... Ekman-Larsson had two assists to break Keith Yandle's career record of 246 by a Coyotes defenseman. ... Comtois has five goals and four assists the past eight games after finishing with one of each on Wednesday. ... Kessel has three goals and three assists during a four-game points streak.
UP NEXT
Ducks: Anaheim hosts Vegas on Saturday to kick off a three-game homestand.
Coyotes: Arizona hosts Colorado in the first of back-to-back games on Friday.
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