Clayton Keller, Lawson Crouse and Nick Schmaltz each scored a goal and an assist as the Arizona Coyotes defeated the host San Jose Sharks 5-2 on Sunday.
Liam O’Brien and Dylan Guenther had the other Coyotes goals, while Connor Ingram made 25 saves as Arizona swept the three-game season series against San Jose. The Coyotes (33-39-5, 71 points) have won seven of their last 11 games (7-4-0).
Henry Thrun scored a goal and assisted on Luke Kunin’s goal for San Jose (18-51-8, 44 points). Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 shots for the Sharks, who have lost 11 of 14 (2-11-1).
Guenther gave the Coyotes a 3-2 lead by putting a wrist shot under the blocker arm of Blackwood for his 14th of the season at 4:56 of the third.
Keller doubled Arizona’s lead by one-timing Schmaltz’s pass off the post and past Blackwood for his 33rd of the season at 14:13 of the third. Keller extended his point streak to 11 games (eight goals, 10 assists).
Schmaltz added an empty-netter, his 22nd goal of the season, with 3:06 remaining.
San Jose scored the lone goal of the second period, tying it 2-2 heading to the third.
Kunin tipped in a pass from Thrun past Ingram for his 10th of the season. Collin Graf, who signed as a free agent with the Sharks on Thursday, picked up his first NHL point with the secondary assist on the goal.
The Coyotes led 2-1 after 20 minutes.
Crouse opened the scoring, one-timing Matias Maccelli’s pass from the top of the faceoff circle past Blackwood at 3:17 of the opening frame for his 22nd goal of the season.
San Jose responded on the man advantage 1:11 later as Thrun one-timed Mikael Granlund’s pass from the point past a screened Ingram for his third of the season at 4:28.
Arizona took its second lead of the period when O’Brien tapped the puck between Blackwood’s pads for his fourth of the season at 11:07.
Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott left the game with 8:20 to play in the second period after being hit from behind by Kunin. He did not return.
–Field Level Media
