Offered a sliver of playoff hope with a result from another game earlier Wednesday night, the Arizona Coyotes needed a win to stay alive for at least a couple of more days. 

They didn’t get it, losing 4-2 to the Los Angeles Kings in the last home game of the season at Gila River Arena. 

The St. Louis Blues clinched the fourth and last playoff spot from the West Division with their overtime loss, which earned them a standings point and assured that the Coyotes, with two games left, cannot catch them. 

Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jakob Chychrun scored goals for the Coyotes, Chychrun tying the game at 2 late in the first period with his 18th goal of the season, the most among NHL defensemen. 

After a scoreless second period, the Kings got Gabe Vilardi’s second goal of the night with 15:18 to play in the game, and an empty-net goal with 37 seconds left sealed the Coyotes’ fate.

About a month ago, the Coyotes (22-26-6) were once in firm command of fourth place. But a crushing defeat to the Kings in Los Angeles on April 7, in which the Coyotes lost a two-goal lead in the third period, led to the current run of 12 losses in their last 15 games. 

That allowed the Blues to find their form and pass the Coyotes in the standings, and it was going to take a lot anyway for Arizona to somehow steal the playoff spot.

Adin Hill had 18 saves in goal for the Coyotes. 

Inside the arena

It was Fan Appreciation Night, and fans streamed into Gila River Arena for a Cinco de Mayo-themed celebration. Before the doors opened, the Coyotes hosted a Latino business networking event for community members. 

“What we’re excited about as an organization is we get a chance to be able to reach out into the community and to actually say what can we do for you?” Coyotes President and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez told participants. “We’re an NHL team, but we’re more than that. We’re really here to try to be an impact force in your life, in your business, in your organization and in this community.”

Fans were greeted by the sounds of mariachi music as they entered. 

Coyotes Faceoff

A visit with Coyotes center Johan Larsson, who talks about his first season in Arizona and the postcard picture-like place in Sweden where he’s from.

Up Next 

The Coyotes finish up the regular season with two games in San Jose against the Sharks on Friday and Saturday.

Get in touch with Jose Romero at [email protected]. Find him on Twitter at @RomeroJoseM.