ARIZONA COYOTES

Coyotes’ points streak ends at 9 with loss to Flames

Feb 22, 2023, 11:16 PM
Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller (9) carries the puck between Calgary Flames defenseman Ra...

Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller (9) carries the puck between Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson and center Jonathan Huberdeau (10) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Tempe, Ariz. The Flames won 6-3. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Jakob Pelletier and Walker Duehr scored goals 25 seconds apart in the third period and the Calgary Flames rallied to beat the Arizona Coyotes 6-3 on Wednesday night.

Calgary’s Mikael Backlund scored with 3:19 left to cap the scoring. It was his 13th of the season and was the Flames’ third power-play tally of the night.

Milan Lucic, Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Flames, who opened a three-game swing as they chase the top eight in the Western Conference playoff race. It was their first time playing at Mullett Arena. They outshot the Coyotes 52-14.

Lindholm, who also had an assist, reached 500 career points.

“Our season is on the line, and we played a solid game,” Lindholm said. “Stuck with it and got the results.”

Calgary went up 4-3 with 15:07 left on Pelletier’s goal after Arizona’s Matias Maccelli had been penalized for tripping. Just 26 seconds later, Duehr made it 5-3.

Pelletier’s winner was his second career goal — the 2019 first-round pick played in just his 12th NHL game. “It’s time for me to step up and score goals,” he said.

Duehr was recalled from the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League on Tuesday and contributed a goal and an assist.

“We needed the young guys,” Flames coach Darryl Sutter said. “Walker’s pace and his speed makes a difference to our team.”

Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller and Maccelli scored goals for the Coyotes, who saw their nine-game points streak (5-0-4) come to an end. It had been the longest such streak running in the NHL and only six have been longer in the NHL this season.

“I think they were desperate, faster and they played a better game than us,” Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said.

Calgary dominated the shots on goal, with an 18-3 edge after the first period. But the only goal of the period was scored by Lucic, from in close on a nice feed from Duehr.

Karol Vejmelka managed to keep the Flames off the board the remainder of the period. In the first minute of the second period, the Flames’ Mikael Backlund went off for tripping, the first penalty assessed in the game. Then 29 seconds later, Schmaltz scored his 16th goal on a one-timer from Keller’s cross-ice pass. Juuso Valimaki also assisted on the goal at 1:11.

Keller was penalized for tripping at 7:09 of the second. But Vejmelka and the Coyotes killed the penalty, and Keller returned to the ice and scored his 24th of the season, unassisted, at 9:31.

Arizona made it 3-1 at 11:06 when Maccelli beat Dan Vlagar on the short side for his fourth goal, also unassisted. At that point the Coyotes were being outshot 30-8.

The lead didn’t last long. Arizona was assessed a bench penalty during a line change and 7 seconds into the Calgary power play, Lindholm put home a rebound off Toffoli’s shot at 12:58. Toffoli tied it 1:02 later with a high shot from the blue line that beat Vejmelka for his 24th goal of the season. Lindholm assisted on that goal.

Arizona Coyotes

Clayton Keller #9 of the Arizona Coyotes celebrates with teammate Juuso Valimaki #4 after scoring a...
Arizona Sports

Clayton Keller breaks Coyotes’ point streak record with spinning goal in loss vs. Avs

Clayton Keller extended his points streak to 12 games, and no other player since the franchise relocated has hit that mark.
19 hours ago
General manager Bill Armstrong of the Arizona Coyotes talks during the first round of the 2022 Uppe...
Arizona Sports

Coyotes’ Armstrong admires team fight as draft lottery position unfolds

The NHL’s top record was done by midseason thanks to Boston, but the chase for the worst mark remains up for grabs in the final three weeks.
2 days ago
Team Owner, Chairman and Governor Andrew Barroway of the Arizona Coyotes greets fan during a red ca...
Arizona Sports

NHL suspends Coyotes minority owner after arrest for strangulation charge

The NHL said it is aware of the arrest of Arizona Coyotes minority owner Andrew Barroway and has suspended him indefinitely.
2 days ago
EDMONTON, CANADA - MARCH 22: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers skates against Nick Schmaltz...
Associated Press

Connor McDavid’s 60th goal gives Coyotes OT loss to Oilers

The Arizona Coyotes dropped their second loss in a road back-to-back after Connor McDavid scored his 60th goal of the year in overtime.
5 days ago
The spot light shines on Lawson Crouse #67 of the Arizona Coyotes after he scores a goal against th...
Associated Press

Coyotes’ 4-game winning streak ends after loss to Jets

The Arizona Coyotes had won six out of their last seven games and four straight before a loss to the Jets on Tuesday.
6 days ago
Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller celebrates with center Nick Schmaltz (8) after scoring a ...
Kevin Zimmerman

Fanatics to replace Adidas as NHL jersey provider in 2024-25

Fanatics is taking over as the NHL's jersey provider beginning in 2024-25. Adidas has made NHL jerseys since 2017.
6 days ago
Coyotes’ points streak ends at 9 with loss to Flames