Arizona Coyotes’ win spoils Los Angeles Kings’ playoff hopes
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Kings | 0:35
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the 2-1 win over the Kings.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSCoyotes eliminate Kings from playoffs with 2-1 win | 1:02
Coach Dave Tippett, goalie Mike Smith, center Alexander Burmistrov and winger Anthony Duclair react to the win.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Capitals | 0:25
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the 6-3 win over the Capitals.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSCoyotes snap losing streak against Capitals | 0:58
Coach Dave Tippett, center Christian Dvorak, goalie Louis Domingue and center Alexander Burmistrov react to the 6-3 win.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Blues | 0:24
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the 3-1 loss to the Blues.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSCoyotes react to 3-1 loss to Blues | 1:14
Coach Dave Tippett, defenseman Alex Goligoski, goalie Louis Domingue and winger Clayton Keller react to the loss.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Blues | 0:33
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the 4-1 loss to the Blues. (Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSCoyotes cap road trip with 4-1 loss to Blues | 0:58
Coyotes coach Dave Tippett, winger Clayton Keller, center Alexander Burmistrov and defenseman Anthony DeAngelo react to the loss. (Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSForward Clayton Keller set to begin pro career with Coyotes | 0:47
Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Coyotes on Sunday, March 26, 2017. (Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSU.S. women’s hockey team boycotting world championship | 0:52
USA TODAY Sports’ A.J. Perez explains why the USA women’s hockey team is boycotting the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship. USA TODAY Sports
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Capitals | 0:33
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and the minus in the 4-1 loss to the Capitals.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSCapitals pull away from Coyotes with 3-goal third | 0:53
Coach Dave Tippett, goalie Mike Smith and center Jordan Martinook react to the 4-1 loss. Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Panthers | 0:29
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the 3-1 loss to the Panthers.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSUnusual goal sparks Panthers to win over Coyotes | 1:15
Coach Dave Tippett, goalie Mike Smith, winger Tobias Rieder and defenseman Jakob Chychrun react to the 3-1 loss.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Lightning | 0:38
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the 5-3 win over the Lightning. (Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSCoyotes rally past the Lightning | 0:54
Coach Dave Tippett, winger Radim Vrbata, winger Christian Fischer and winger Anthony Duclair react to the 5-3 win. (Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Predators | 0:30
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the 3-1 loss to the Predators.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSCoyotes open road trip with 3-1 loss to Predators | 1:07
Coach Dave Tippett, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, winger Jamie McGinn and defenseman Zbynek Michalek.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Blues | 0:34
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the 3-0 loss to the Blues.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSCoyotes shut out 3-0 by the Blues | 1:40
Coach Dave Tippett, defenseman Luke Schenn and goalie Mike Smith react to the loss on Saturday at Gila River Arena. Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Red Wings | 0:36
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the 5-4 shootout loss to the Red Wings.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSCoyotes clipped by Red Wings 5-4 in a shootout | 1:20
Coach Dave Tippett, goalie Mike Smith, winger Radim Vrbata and defenseman Jakob Chychrun react to the loss.
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Kings | 0:31
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the 3-2 shootout win over the Kings, Mar. 14, 2017. (Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSCoyotes outlast Kings in 11-round shootout | 1:08
Coach Dave Tippett, goalie Louis Domingue, defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and winger Max Domi react to the 3-2 shootout win against the Kings, Mar. 14, 2017. (Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Avalanche | 0:32
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the 1-0 win over the Avalanche, Mar. 13, 2017. (Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSCoyotes blank Avalanche 1-0 | 1:19
Coach Dave Tippett, goalie Mike Smith, captain Shane Doan and winger Brendan Perlini react to the win, Mar. 13, 2017. (Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST ARIZONA COYOTES VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Devils | 0:34
Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the 5-4 win over the Devils on Saturday.
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LOS ANGELES – Coyotes winger Anthony Duclair spread his arms, his stick clutched in his left hand, and looked up to the rafters in Staples Center as he turned in the corner of the offensive zone.
A scoring drought that had spanned more than three months, included a demotion to the minors to rediscover his touch and featured its fair share of close calls had finally come to an end.
“It was obviously a relief,” Duclair said. “It’s been a while.”
Not only did Duclair shrug off his slump, but his goal also emerged as the game-winner in a 2-1 win over the Kings on Sunday that held other significance – most chiefly the Coyotes snuffing out the Kings’ playoff chances as Los Angeles needed two points to remain in contention.
And what was at stake wasn’t lost on the Coyotes.
“Yeah, I think it was kind of some motivation there to have something to play for, I guess, this time of the year when you’re out of the playoffs,” goalie Mike Smith said. “I think definitely we knew they were going to come hard. They were on their last lives. We answered the bell tonight.”
Smith was strong, posting 34 saves in an effort that looked like it might stand up as a shutout until the Kings sabotaged the bid in the third on yet another quirky goal against Smith. On the team’s last road trip, the Panthers scored with Smith sprawled on his belly, his head pointed into the goal mouth and the net on top of his back.
“It always happens to me,” he said.
Los Angeles cut its deficit in half with its lone power-play goal in six tries on a fortuitous sequence 4:21 into the third period, as defenseman Alec Martinez’s dump-in bounced off winger Jordan Martinook and between defenseman Luke Schenn’s leg before sliding into a mostly empty net, with Smith off to the side to play the puck.
“When you play the puck as much as I do, it’s going to happen from time to time,” Smith said. “it’s just an unfortunate bounce. It’s no one’s fault. It’s just unlucky break there.”
This was Smith’s first appearance since last Monday as Louis Domingue started Wednesday at home against the Blues and then made an encore Friday with Smith under the weather. But rust didn’t seem to be a factor for the 35-year-old – especially in the third when the Kings continued to pour on the pressure after their goal.
Arizona committed three more penalties after Los Angeles’ power-play tally with Smith making three saves on defenseman Drew Doughty on the Kings’ final look late in the game.
“It was nice to get back,” Smith said. “I’ve been battling a little bit of a bug lately, so I think the energy level isn’t where I’d like it. But that’s partly probably the end of the season and not feeling well for a while. But it was nice to get back in there and get a win and feel good about my game.”
Center Alexander Burmistrov also seems to have discovered a rhythm. His redirect off an Oliver Ekman-Larsson pass during a power play in the first period was stopped by Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, but Burmistrov was able to bury the rebound with 15 seconds left in the period for his third goal in his last two games.
“I was kind of surprised he saved that at the start,” Burmistrov said. “I was lucky to get the rebound, so it was nice pass by ‘O.’”
Arizona scored earlier on the same power play sequence when winger Brendan Perlini wired a wrist shot by Quick, but Los Angeles challenged the goal and the call was reversed once video determined defenseman Anthony DeAngelo was offside prior to the goal.
“To get that power play right after the disallowed one it certainly gives us a little boost because you could have went into the locker room, ‘Woulda, coulda, shoulda,’” coach Dave Tippett said. “So, you’re still up 1-0.”
In the second, the Coyotes added to their lead with Duclair’s fourth goal of the season and first since he rejoined the Coyotes in March after a stint in the minors to regain his scoring touch. Duclair’s initial shot didn’t make it to the net, but he pounced on the loose puck at 3:09.
“That’s a long time coming for him,” Tippett said. “It’s good to see him get on the board.”
Duclair returned from his assignment in the American Hockey League focused on trying to help the team win.
Earlier in the season when he struggled to duplicate the scoring prowess that headlined a 20-goal rookie campaign, Duclair said he was “getting down on myself.” Amid this latest chance, he wanted to stay positive.
“I just want to play well for the rest of the season,” he said. “Obviously, it’s been a rough year. It’s been a long year. But at the same time, now that I’m here, I’m getting an opportunity to do what I can so that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
This one goal won’t repair what’s clearly been a sophomore setback for the 21-year-old.
“It’s going to take more than one I think,” Tippett said. “He’s a young player that we had high expectations for, and he’s got four goals through about 75 games. So he’s got some work to do.”
But he didn’t lug this lengthy skid into next season.
And that could be meaningful in the long run.
“I just want to help build up for next year,” Duclair said.
Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.
Key player
Coyotes goalie Mike Smith made 34 saves.
Key moment
The Coyotes scored the eventual game-winning goal 3:09 into the second with winger Anthony Duclair’s first goal since Dec.29.
Key number
5 penalty kills by the Coyotes amid six power plays for the Kings.
View from the press box
It looks like chemistry is sprouting among Duclair, winger Max Domi and center Alexander Burmistrov. All were on the ice for Duclair’s goal; same with one of Burmistrov’s two goals in Friday’s win over the Capitals. Burmistrov now has three goals in his last two games after adding a power-play tally against the Kings. “Burmy’s a skill guy that makes plays, and I think he complements me and Max pretty well,” Duclair said. “So I really like this line right now.”