Michael Carcone scored twice in the third period, helping Arizona overcome a three-goal deficit to defeat the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights 7-4 on Friday night.
Josh Doan, Nick Bjugstad, and Carcone scored in just over a minute during the third period to tie the game at 4-4 before Carcone’s deflected shot gave the Coyotes the lead with 5:13 left.
Josh Brown and Logan Cooley added goals in the final minutes as the Coyotes stopped the Golden Knights’ seven-game point streak. Cooley scored into an empty net. Alex Kerfoot also scored for Arizona, and Karel Vejmelka made 20 saves.
“It shows character,” Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. “Our guys showed they care a lot. We’ve had comebacks in the past, and it’s good for everybody to contribute.”
Clayton Keller had two assists, extending his points streak to 10 games, the longest active streak in the league. It was the Coyotes’ second comeback from a three-goal deficit this season. Their six goals came in just over nine minutes in the third period, the fastest six-goal period since the original Winnipeg Jets in 1988.
“Some of it was us not taking care of the details,” Las Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Let’s face it, there was a stretch there where every shot went in. You have to stop the bleeding somewhere in that. They were opportunistic, and we paid the price.”
William Karlsson, Jack Eichel, Anthony Mantha, and Chandler Stephenson scored for the Golden Knights in the second period, giving them a 4-1 lead with 13 minutes remaining. Logan Thompson made 25 saves.
The Golden Knights missed a chance to move into sole possession of third place in the Pacific Division in the tight Western Conference playoff race. Vegas is tied with Nashville with 92 points, one ahead of Los Angeles, as the teams jockey for playoff position. All three have six games remaining, none against each other.
Nashville is fourth in the Central Division, and the Kings are fourth in the Pacific. The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs, and the top two remaining point-getters earn the final two West playoff spots.
