Arizona Coyotes blow multiple leads in home loss vs. New York Rangers

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kaapo Kakko had two goals, including the game-winner with 2:18 left, and the New York Rangers scored twice on the power play in the final six minutes to beat the Arizona Coyotes 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Mika Zibanejad added a goal and an assist for the Rangers, who had dropped two straight and three of four. Chris Kreider had three assists — matching a career high — after entering the game with four all season.

Kakko tapped the tiebreaker into an open side off a pass from Kreider after Zibanejad scored on a power play with help from Kreider’s screen at 14:14 of the third period to tie it 2-all.

Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist, and Loui Eriksson scored short-handed for the struggling Coyotes, who have lost six in a row.

The Rangers played most of the game without leading scorer Artemi Panarin, who logged only seven minutes and was not on the ice in the third period. He has nine goals and 33 points.

Keith Kinkaid made 29 saves in his first start of the season for the Rangers in a game that ended with scrum in front of the Arizona net.

Scott Wedgewood stopped 24 shots for the Coyotes.

Arizona had the best scoring chances in the first period before Eriksson’s short-handed goal late made it 1-0. He skated in after a pass from Keller and his wrister from the left side got through Kinkaid’s pads and trickled over the goal line at 17:46.

Eriksson was inches short of a similar goal five minutes into the period, when his shot from the right circle got through Kinkaid but was swept away at the goal line by the Rangers. A replay review confirmed the puck did not cross the line.

Kinkaid turned away Barrett Hayton on a breakaway with five minutes left in the period, and the teams traded penalties a minute apart before Eriksson scored.

Kakko tied it at 1 midway through the second when he tipped a rebound into an open side after Wedgewood stopped Zibanejad’s shot from the right circle but could not control it.

ICE CHIPS

— Eriksson has 251 career goals and 599 points. He is two assists short of becoming the eighth NHL player from Sweden with 1,000 games, 250 goals, 350 assists and 600 points.

— Coyotes D Jakob Chychrun (lower body) was placed on injured reserve after missing his second straight game.

— D Janis Moser was recalled from Tucson of the American Hockey League. Moser was the fifth Arizona player to make his NHL debut this season after G Karel Vejmelka, D Dysin Mayo, D Cam Dineen and F Ben McCartney.

— Coyotes F Christian Fischer sustained an upper-body injury in the first period and did not return.

UP NEXT

The Coyotes play at Anaheim on Friday at 8 p.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.