Coyotes fall to Lightning in fifth straight game without Oliver Ekman-Larsson

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Ben Bishop stopped 31 shots for his fifth shutout of the season, Ondrej Palat scored in the first period and the Tampa Bay Lightning used a superior penalty kill to hold off the Arizona Coyotes 2-0 on Saturday night.

Nikita Kucherov scored his team-best 27th goal into an empty net with 49.6 seconds left as the Lightning snapped a two-game skid.

The Lightning secured a 2-2 trip despite taking three penalties in the first 3:17 of the second period. Tampa Bay responded by killing off two Arizona 5-on-3s totaling 1:57 to move within two points of Atlantic Division-leading Florida.

Louis Domingue made 32 saves and the Coyotes killed Tampa Bay’s four-minute power play early in the third period. But they couldn’t solve Bishop as their three-game winning streak, which tied a season high, ended.

Bishop’s 17th career shutout allowed Tampa Bay to win for the second time in seven games following a nine-game winning streak. He preserved the victory when he stopped Kevin Connauton’s backhand and a rebound in the closing minutes.

Two nights after captain Steven Stamkos called Tampa Bay “fragile” and “scared to lose” after blowing three one-goal leads in a loss at Dallas, the Lightning came out strong.

Tampa Bay held an early 6-0 edge in shots and took a 1-0 lead when Palat’s deep wrist shot from the wall near the blue line beat Domingue on the short side with 57 seconds left in the first period.

The soft goal came after Domingue stuffed Kucherov on a breakaway and then knocked away the rebound.

Then, Braydon Coburn, Victor Hedman and Brian Boyle led a parade to the penalty box to start the second period. But Bishop was sharp and the Coyotes combined poor passing and hesitation into few chances.

The rest of the period produced no goals, but plenty of hitting, scuffles after the whistle and odd matching penalties.

A replay showed Alex Killorn slash Arizona’s Martin Hanzal in the groin. Hanzal doubled over, then got up and went after Killorn in the corner. But Hanzal was called for embellishment.

It was that kind of night for the Coyotes, who went 0 for 6 on the power play in getting shut out for the fourth time this season. They had been 4 for 9 with the man-advantage in the previous four games.

Duclair went after J.T. Brown, drawing high-sticking and slashing penalties before a lengthy brawl in the third period. The Coyotes killed off the ensuing 4-minute power play.

Arizona played its fifth straight game without injured points leader Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and his absence was noticeable during Arizona’s struggling power play.

Domingue was back in net with Mike Smith scheduled to start Sunday’s game in San Jose. Smith had stopped 71 of 72 stops in two games after a 40-game injury absence.

NOTES: Ekman-Larsson was to fly with the team to San Jose and could play Sunday. … Lightning RW Ryan Callahan (lower body) was scratched. … Lightning C Valtteri Flippula (upper body) participated in the morning skate with a non-contact jersey and may return by next weekend.