Brendan Perlini, Jordan Martinook shoot Coyotes past Kings

Feb 16, 2017, 11:55 PM

Arizona Coyotes left wing Brendan Perlini, of Great Britain, celebrates his goal with center Christian Dvorak during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. The Coyotes won 5-3. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brendan Perlini scored twice, Jordan Martinook added short-handed and empty-net goals in the third period and Mike Smith made 41 saves to lift the Arizona Coyotes to a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.

Tobias Rieder scored his 13th goal of the season and Oliver Ekman-Larsson picked up a point for the fifth consecutive game with his sixth assist in that span, helping the Coyotes to their fourth win in their last six games.

Tanner Pearson scored twice, Dustin Brown had a goal and an assist in the third period and Peter Budaj had 17 saves for the Kings, who trail Calgary by one point for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

While the Kings were coming off a four-game road trip and their bye week as Staples Center hosted the Grammy Awards, the Coyotes mustered more energy. Perlini scored a power-play goal 4:51 into the first period, and Rieder followed up 16 seconds later.

Perlini initially missed completely on his first shot attempt after Radim Vrbata’s pass deflected off Drew Doughty, but was able to recover with a shot over Budaj’s left shoulder into the top corner. It was Perlini’s ninth goal of the season and second on the power play.

Before the Kings could regroup, Alex Goligoski poked the puck from Brown in the neutral zone to start a wild sequence. Rieder scored over Budaj’s right stick side, but the referee initially waived off a clear goal. Josh Jooris then scored as play continued with Budaj buried on his back by a King and a Coyote, but it was superseded by Rieder’s initial shot following a video review.

Pearson finally got the Kings on the board with 11:22 remaining in the third period, but Perlini immediately responded with a wrist shot for his second career multigoal game. Brown followed up his own miss to cut the Kings’ deficit to 3-2 with 8:53 to play, only for Martinook to come up with a short-handed goal after Smith hit Brown in the face with his stick.

Martinook scored into an empty net with 1:25 left, but Pearson made it a two-goal deficit again with 23 seconds remaining.

The Coyotes have responded with seven wins in their last 11 games after losing 13 of 15, including dropping nine straight in December, buoyed by points streaks from Ekman-Larsson and Radim Vrbata.

NOTES: Arizona scored multiple goals in the first period for the first time since Jan. 21. … The Coyotes had just three first-period goals in their previous nine games. … Rookie Adrian Kempe made his NHL debut for Los Angeles, starting alongside Anze Kopitar and Tyler Toffoli. Kempe, who was selected No. 29 overall in the 2014 draft, played 15:18 and put a breakaway shot wide of Smith late in the first period.

UP NEXT

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Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin, right, moves the puck while under pressure from Arizona Coyotes right wing Josh Jooris during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona Coyotes center Christian Dvorak, left, and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Paul LaDue tangle during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Kings right wing Marian Gaborik, of Slovakia, and Arizona Coyotes center Christian Dvorak vie for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona Coyotes left wing Brendan Perlini, of Great Britain, celebrates his goal with center Christian Dvorak during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. The Coyotes won 5-3. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith stops a shot during the second period of the team's NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona Coyotes center Martin Hanzal, right, of the Czech Republic, passes the puck as Los Angeles Kings center Trevor Lewis defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, bottom, dives in front of the shot of Arizona Coyotes center Martin Hanzal, of the Czech Republic, during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona Coyotes left wing Brendan Perlini, o Britain, center, scores on Los Angeles Kings goalie Peter Budaj, right, of Slovakia, as defenseman Drew Doughty tries to defend during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Kings goalie Peter Budaj, of Slovakia, is scored on by Arizona Coyotes left wing Brendan Perlini, of Great Britain, during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. The Coyotes won 5-3. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown, lower right, shoots and scores past Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith, top, as center Ryan White falls on top of him during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. The Coyotes won 5-3. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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