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 With the Coyotes coming off a game Wednesday in Anaheim, the
disparity in early energy was glaring Thursday.
Minnesota scored two even-strength goals, a power-play goal and a
short-handed goal to improve to 3-0-0 for the first time since
2008-09 with a 4-3 win over the Coyotes.
The Wild held a 3-0 lead midway through the game before the Coyotes
made it competitive in the late going.
"This team was playing well, but we had a really good start,"
Minnesota left winger Zach Parise said. "As the game went on, they
got a little better and we got a little sloppier, but we were able
to hang on."
Arizona (3-1-0) was off to its best start since 2003-04. Minnesota's
best start came in 2006-07, when it won its first six games.
Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk, facing his former team, made 25 saves to
post his 100th career win.
Defenseman Michael Stone scored in four-on-four play with 4:48 left
in the third period to pull the Coyotes within 4-3. Right winger
Shane Doan had an assist on the goal to pull within one point of 900
for his career. However, the Coyotes could not find an equalizer.
"In the third period, we played with a little bit of desperation,
and that's maybe how we need to play for the whole game," Arizona
right winger Shane Doan said. "Everyone plays back-to-back games,
and that's going to be par for the course for the NHL. It's not easy
getting up for that next one sometimes against a team that's been
sitting here waiting."
Parise opened the scoring on a power play at 9:22 of the first
period. Right winger Jason Pominville deflected defenseman Ryan
Suter's shot from the point, and it caromed off the end boards onto
Parise's backhand at the far post.
Parise's league-leading fifth goal of the season marked the first
power-play goal the Coyotes allowed in 12 opponents' chances. It was
also the first time Arizona trailed in a game all season.
Before that goal, Coyotes goalie Mike Smith went 104 minutes, five
seconds without giving up a goal and 150:18 giving up just one goal.
Minnesota widened the lead less than a minute later when left winger
Thomas Vanek beat Smith to the short side with a terrific shot just
inside the junction of the crossbar and post for a 2-0 lead.
It was Vanek's 300th career goal.
Wild center Mikko Koivu increased the lead to 3-0 with a
short-handed goal at 7:07 of the second period. Following the goal,
Coyotes coach Dave Tippett pulled Smith to shake things up with his
sluggish team, inserting backup Andres Lindback.
"At the end of the first period, we said if we didn't find something
early, we were going to give him a rest, and that's what we did,"
Tippett said.
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Coyotes left winger Anthony Duclair gave his team brief hope when he
took a brilliant feed from center Max Domi and scored his fourth
goal in two games at 12:14 of the second period to cut the lead to
3-1.
"I was surprised last year when they sent down Domi (to the AHL),
but obviously there is a plan there, and it was probably a good
thing with the season he had," Dubnyk said. "That first goal (the
pass to Duclair and the finish) was pretty ridiculous. Those guys
are going to be pretty exciting in this building."
Minnesota center Mikael Granlund answered 22 seconds later when both
Coyotes defenseman got caught defending Pominville, who fed Parise.
The right winger set up Granlund for a one-timer from the deep slot
for a 4-1 lead.
Domi cut the margin to 4-2 with 9.4 seconds left in the second
period. He knocked a puck out of the air, stickhandled around Wild
defenseman Jared Spurgeon and beat Dubnyk through the five-hole.
Smith stopped 17 of the 21 shots he faced. Lindback made three
saves.
NOTES: Wild G Devan Dubnyk returned to Arizona and started for the
first time since the Coyotes traded him last January for a
third-round pick. ... Coyotes G Mike Smith made his fourth
consecutive start to open the season and played on the back end of a
back-to-back set for the second time this season. ... RW Justin
Fontaine, who missed Minnesota's first two games with an oblique
injury, was in the lineup, replacing rookie Tyler Graovac, who went
on injured reserve with a groin injury. Fontaine's return allowed
Charlie Coyle to move back to center. ... RW Anthony Duclair became
the 16th Coyotes rookie to record a hat trick when he notched the
first of his career Wednesday in Anaheim. He is the first Coyotes
rookie to have a three-goal game since Daniel Carcillo in 2008.
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