Christian Dvorak scored in the fourth round of the shootout after getting two goals in regulation, and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3
Christian Dvorak’s approach was to get to the front of the net for scoring chances, and he executed it to perfection twice before finishing with a flourish.
Dvorak scored in the fourth round of the shootout after getting two goals in regulation, and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 Wednesday night.
Conor Garland scored on Arizona’s second shot of the shootout, but Ondrej Kase answered for the Ducks. Dvorak then won it as the second shooter of the fourth round.
“I like to get my head up and try to see what’s open there,” Dvorak said.
Alex Goligoski scored to force overtime and Darcy Kuemper stopped 31 shots to help the Coyotes win for the fourth time in six games. Arizona also moved to two points behind the Edmonton Oilers for first place in the Pacific Division.
“I’m happy we won,” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. “Two points behind Edmonton and all that stuff, but we’ve to play better defensively and players have to understand that.”
Brendan Guhle, Sam Steel and Troy Terry scored for Anaheim, and John Gibson finished with 25 saves.
In overtime, the Coyotes got a power play after a slashing penalty to the Ducks’ Max Jones with 2:19 left, but couldn’t score.
Terry’s goal at 10 minutes of the third period gave the Ducks their first lead of the game, 3-2. But the Coyotes tied it 38 seconds later when Goligoski’s shot hit Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm in his backside and ricocheted into the net.
“It was a fun game, they play a fun style,” Terry said. “It’s hard to lose it that way, in a shootout, but there’s a lot of positives for us.”
Cam Fowler had two assists for the Ducks, who’ve lost four of five but have earned points in three of four. Guhle scored his first goal of the season at 6:22 of the first period.
“Just a solid road game,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “In overtime, that’s a tough kill when its 4-on-3 and they (penalty kill) did a great, great job.”
Dvorak scored on the game’s first power play 3:02 in. Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s slap shot from out high hit Dvorak’s stick and the puck went over Gibson’s glove. Dvorak has eight goals on the season which is second on the team.
Ekman-Larsson, the Coyotes’ captain, moved into 11th place on the franchise all-time points list with 344.
The Ducks tied it soon after. Ryan Getzlaf sent a pass toward the net, where Guhle was able to put the puck past Kuemper despite the presence of Coyotes defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin. Getzlaf has points in six straight games.
Arizona took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission with Dvorak taking advantage of a deflection off the stick of Anaheim’s Erik Gudbranson. Vinnie Hinostroza shot the puck toward the crease, and Dvorak was in front for a backhand with 1:38 left.
“That’s where goals are scored, so that’s where I try to get to,” Dvorak said.
The Coyotes missed chances to build on the lead in the second period before Steel put in a loose puck at the 11:42 mark, tying the score.
Gibson stretched his right leg just far enough to stop a point-blank attempt from Arizona’s Michael Grabner with 3:53 to go in the second.
NOTES: Eric Comrie, who hasn’t appeared in a game all season, was the backup goaltender for the Coyotes with Antti Raanta scratched due to illness. … F Lawson Crouse missed his second straight game with a head injury. … F Phil Kessel played in his 800th straight game, the seventh-longest streak in NHL history. He hasn’t missed a game since Oct. 31, 2009. … Ducks D Michael Del Zotto was scratched for the second straight game. … An assist for F Nick Ritchie in the second period was his 100th career NHL point.
UP NEXT
Ducks: Host Winnipeg on Friday.
Coyotes: At Vegas on Friday night.
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