Coyotes falter late again, suffer 2nd straight loss
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It took Devan Dubnyk 11 games to get his first NHL win. On Saturday night, the veteran goalie earned No. 200.
Dubnyk stopped 30 shots and Marcus Foligno scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period, leading the Minnesota Wild to a 3-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes.
Nino Niederreiter also scored and Eric Staal added an empty-netter to seal Minnesota's fifth win in the last seven games. The Wild continued their hold on third place in the Central Division with 10 games to play in the regular season.
Dubnyk spent 19 games with the Coyotes in the 2014-15 season, but he played well enough for the Wild to pursue him in a trade. He's been in Minnesota ever since, and has won 130 games with the team.
"It was a short time span here, but this organization (the Coyotes) gave me my confidence back and believed in me and gave me a chance, and it'll always hold a special place for me even though it was only four months."
"He opens up the garage door." Clayton Keller scores his 20th goal of the season and pulls the #Yotes even with the #Wild early in the second. pic.twitter.com/XSYV9x5ldI
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) March 18, 2018
Antti Raanta, back in net for the Coyotes after a six-game injury absence, also finished with 30 saves. Clayton Keller scored the Coyotes' only goal as they have lost back-to-back games for the first time since Feb. 3 and 6.
Foligno's eighth of the season came at 10:51 of the third. The Wild took advantage of an Arizona turnover behind Raanta's net.
Staal scored with 18 seconds to play, his team-leading 38th goal of the season. The Wild had won at Vegas Friday night and were in a tight battle with Arizona for most this game.
"This team has been as hot as any team in the NHL, except for Nashville," Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau said of the Coyotes. "We knew they weren't going away."
The game's first power play produced the first goal. Niederreiter got the rebound of a saved shot by Matt Dumba and sent the puck past Raanta at 7:35 of the first. It was Niederreiter's 17th and ended a stretch of four straight games in which the Wild failed to scored on power plays.
"We're getting shots but we're not getting anybody in front of the net." -- Rick Tocchet after the #Coyotes' 3-1 loss to the #Wild. pic.twitter.com/wDesYTCLWt
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) March 18, 2018
"We know how important every game is going to be down the stretch," Neiderreiter said. "I'm happy it just fell right in front of me and I had a chance to put it home."
The Coyotes' penalty-kill unit kept the Wild from scoring on Minnesota's four other power plays for the game.
Keller tied it at 4:03 of the second as he broke free with the puck off a blocked shot by teammate Richard Panik, and put in his 20th. Keller became the third Coyotes rookie in franchise history to reach 20 goals in a season.
Panik missed a chance to give Arizona the lead when Dubnyk saved his breakaway attempt at 13:58 of the second.
"I don't think we are getting enough in front of the net," Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet said. "That is something over the summer we have to start to find, we need people who can go to the net."
Keller: Scoring shortages happen in the NHL. pic.twitter.com/0h6QCPxbAn
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) March 18, 2018
NOTES: Coyotes C Zac Rinaldo returned to action after eight games out with an upper body injury. ... The Coyotes wore green warmup jerseys with a plaid pattern on the shoulders and arms in honor of St. Patrick's Day. ... Wild F Daniel Winnik, scratched for the first time this season on Thursday, was back in the lineup and assisted on Foligno's goal. ... Wild fans were at times the more vocal ones in the Coyotes' building, chanting "Let's Go Wild!" and "Dooobbb" for Dubnyk stops. ... Dumba played in his 300th career NHL game, and Boudreau is one win away from 500 in his coaching career.
UP NEXT
Coyotes host Calgary on Monday night.
