Coyotes surrender lead late, fall in shootout to Predators
Jan 18, 2018, 9:37 PM | Updated: Jan 19, 2018, 8:27 am
Nashville Predators right wing Craig Smith (15) is defended by Arizona Coyotes' Max Domi (16) in overtime of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. The Predators won in a shootout, 3-2. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Craig Smith scored the deciding goal in the shootout to give the Nashville Predators a 3-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night.
Scott Hartnell and Ryan Ellis scored for Nashville, which won its fourth consecutive game.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brandon Perlini scored for Arizona. The Coyotes have lost five straight.
In the fourth round of the shootout, Smith was able to beat Arizona’s Antti Raanta with a quick wrist shot low to the glove side.
With time winding down in the third, Parlini split a pair of Predators before beating Nashville’s Pekka Rinne with a backhand high to the glove side in the top corner. Rinne finished with 27 saves in regulation and overtime and denied three of four Arizona shootout attempts.
Ellis tied it at 2 with 2:36 remaining in the third with a one-timer from the high slot that beat Raanta on the glove side.
Arizona challenged the goal, questioning whether Nashville’s Nick Bonino interfered with Raanta. After a short review, the goal was allowed to stand.
Raanta made 37 saves in regulation and overtime, but allowed two goals in the shootout.
Hartnell scored the game’s first goal with 1:43 remaining in the second period.
After taking a stretch pass from Ryan Ellis at the Arizona blue line, Harnell drove in on the right side with Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson on his hip. Harnell shielded the puck from Hjalmarsson and moved toward the low slot, where he slid the puck by Raanta along the ice on the glove side.
Arizona tied it at 1 with 11.3 remaining in the second on Ekman-Larsson’s eighth goal of the season.
From the goal line to the left of the Nashville net, Derek Stepan threw the puck toward the low slot, where Richard Panik spun and sent a backhand shot on goal. Rinne kicked that shot away, but Ekman-Larsson skated in and flipped the rebound by Rinne.
NOTES: Ekman-Larsson has a three-game point-scoring streak. … The Coyotes are 3-17-5 when their opponent scored first this season. … Nashville C Ryan Johansen played, but did not play the third period of Tuesday’s victory over the Vegas Golden Knights after being hit by William Carrier late in the second period.
UP NEXT:
Coyotes: at St. Louis on Saturday.
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