The Arizona Coyotes, who had been struggling to stay in the playoff race, came alive Friday night to hand the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-0 defeat, ending Vegas’ 10-game winning streak and keeping their own postseason hopes alive.
Adin Hill made 25 saves for Arizona, earning his second shutout of the season and third of his career. John Hayden and Michael Bunting each scored for the Coyotes, while Christian Fischer sealed the win with an empty-net goal, pulling Arizona within three points of the St. Louis Blues for the final playoff spot in the West Division.
“We played a full 60 minutes tonight,” said Hill. “Guys played desperate hockey. Played simple but how we needed to, and got the job done.”
After dropping four of their last five games and slipping behind St. Louis, the Coyotes rose to the challenge against the division-leading Golden Knights, who had outscored their opponents 45-17 during their 10-game streak.
“We played a lot better tonight, but the key is doing it every night,” said Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet. “It’s hard, but that’s how the game is. You can’t do it once in a while.”
Vegas, coming off an important 5-2 victory over Colorado, lacked the intensity needed to break through Arizona’s tight defense. Robin Lehner made 29 saves for the Golden Knights but couldn’t hold off the Coyotes’ attack. With Colorado winning their game against San Jose, Vegas’ lead atop the division shrank to four points.
“We might have had a bit of a letdown after that game against Colorado,” said Vegas captain Mark Stone. “These guys are playing for their playoff lives, and they came out with a lot of intensity.”
Arizona struck first when Hayden scored off a rebound midway through the opening period. Vegas applied more pressure through the first two periods, but Hill made several key stops to preserve the Coyotes’ 1-0 lead.
Early in the third period, Bunting doubled Arizona’s lead, jamming home a rebound just 1:30 in. Despite Vegas ramping up their offensive efforts, Hill stood firm, and Fischer added an empty-net goal to secure the win.
“They kept us out of the scoring areas, but we’ve got to figure out their goalie,” said Vegas coach Pete DeBoer. “He’s been playing well against us.”
HILL SHINES IN NET
Hill, typically Darcy Kuemper’s backup, started the first of back-to-back games against Vegas and delivered a stellar performance. Despite limited game time recently, Hill was sharp both positionally and in making difficult saves.
“It’s just about staying focused in practice and carrying that into games,” Hill said. “It felt good to get out there and get the win.”
NOTES
Vegas’ Jonathan Marchessault was out with a lower-body injury. Arizona’s Derick Brassard played his 900th NHL game, and Nick Schmaltz his 300th. Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb appeared in his 500th career game. Coyotes forward Conor Garland missed his fifth straight game due to a lower-body injury, while Tyler Pitlick missed his sixth.
UP NEXT
- The Golden Knights and Coyotes conclude their season series on Saturday, with Vegas leading 5-2 overall.
