Domingue, Rieder lead Coyotes to 4-0 win over Predators
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) Rookie goalie Louis Domingue got his sixth win in eight starts, Tobias Rieder had two goals and an assist and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Nashville Predators 4-0 on Saturday night.
Domingue became the first rookie in franchise history to win three straight games. He's 6-0-2 as a starter and earned his second shutout with 26 saves.
Rieder's first goal came 55 seconds into the third period. He deflected Martin Hanzal's slap shot past Carter Hutton for a 2-0 Coyotes' lead and his ninth goal of the season.
Hutton got the start after All-Star Pekka Rinne played Friday night. Hutton had 25 saves in his sixth appearance of the season.
The Predators pulled Hutton with 3 minutes left and Rieder sent in an empty-goal with 2:23 to play. Rieder has five points in three games.
Anthony Duclair scored with 13.3 seconds left on a wrist shot.
Antoine Vermette scored the first goal 3:35 into the second period on a power play. Shane Doan backhanded a pass through the crease to Vermette for his 200th career goal.
Arizona has a power-play goal in five of its last seven games. The Coyotes have at least a point in five straight games and 9 of 10, and a third-period goal in nine straight games.
The Coyotes had the first good chance to open the scoring just over 2 minutes into the game. Duclair was hooked on a breakaway by Predators defenseman Roman Josi and was given a penalty shot. But Hutton stopped Duclair's attempt with his blocker.
The Predators went 0 for 2 on the power play in a scoreless opening period and 0 for 3 for the game. Nashville has lost four of its last five games and is 0-5-1 in the second of back-to-back games this season. It lost to Colorado 5-3 on Friday night.
A check from Arizona's Connor Murphy leveled newly acquired Predators center Ryan Johansen in the final seconds of the second period. The Predators retaliated and a scuffle ensued while the second period came to a close, resulting in minor penalties for Johansen and Arizona's Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
NOTES: Johansen delivered a slap to the head of Coyotes F Brad Richardson as the teams lined up for the game's opening faceoff and Richardson responded with a shove, but tempers were defused. Johansen was booed thereafter. ... For Nashville, D Anthony Bitetto, F Colin Wilson and F Austin Watson were scratches. ... Coyotes D Zbynek Michalek returned to the second line after missing the past two games with an upper body injury. .... The Coyotes opened a season-long seven-game homestand on Saturday.
