TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Clayton Keller had his second hat trick of the season and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Golden Knights 4-1 on Sunday night, their second victory in the last 13 games.
Dylan Guenther scored and Karel Vejmelka had 35 saves for the Coyotes, who had been shut out in their last two games. Keller has a team-high 18 goals but had only one in his previous 10 games.
Phil Kessel scored and Logan Thompson had 19 saves for Vegas, which has lost four of five.
Keller score twice in the third period, the last into an open net with 4:08 remaining after the Knights pulled Thompson with 5:30 remaining. Thompson returned after that goal. Both teams were playing then second of back-to-back games.
The Coyotes are 9-7-2 at home and have beaten Atlantic Division leader and Pacific Division leader Vegas in 5,000-seat Mullett Arena. Every other team has played at least 21 home games.
Guenther scored first two minutes into the game when he beat Thompson high to the glove side after a slick pass Nick Bjugstad from behind the net. His goal ended the Coyotes' 134-minute scoring drought in regulation and was their first since Guenther scored early in the third period of a 4-3 overtime victory over Detroit on Tuesday. The Coyotes were shut out the previous two games.
Keller made it 2-0 after picking up a loose puck 90 seconds into the second period before Kessel’s power-play goal made it 2-1 at 9:03. Kessel’s high shot from the left circle deflected off the stick of Coyote defenseman Troy Stecher, who was stationed just outside the crease.
WELCOME BACK
Guenther has three goals and an assist in nine games since returning from the World Junior Championships, where he scored the gold medal-winning goal for Canada in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Czech Republic.
NOTES
Golden Knights F Mark Stone (upper body) missed his fifth straight game. Stone is second on the team with 17 goals and 38 points. … Coyotes F Matias Maccelli (lower body) missed his 15th straight game but is close to returning. Despite the time off, Maccelli is tied for third among rookies with 19 assists and is fifth with 22 points. … Coyotes F Lawson Crouse (upper body) missed his third straight game. … Kessel has 406 goals, one short of becoming one of top 100 NHL career goal scorers. ... F William Karlsson assisted on Kessel’s goal, his 200th career assist.
UP NEXT
Golden Knights: Play at New Jersey on Tuesday in the second game of a six-game trip.
Coyotes: Host Anaheim on Tuesday.
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