Clayton Keller scored twice, and Connor Ingram made 31 saves, as the Arizona Coyotes pulled out a 3-2 victory over the visiting Nashville Predators on Saturday at Tempe, Ariz.
Michael Carcone recorded his 15th goal and Sean Durzi had two assists for the Coyotes, who won for the second time in three home games after losing three straight there. Keller, with a team-leading 19 goals on the season and 10 points in the last seven games, registered his ninth multi-goal effort of 2023-24, while being credited with nine shots.
Ex-Predator Ingram, meanwhile, stopped an early barrage of shots from Nashville, which managed Roman Josi’s club-record 167th goal by a defenseman in the second and Tommy Novak’s score while the goalie was pulled with 1:18 remaining in regulation.
Ingram also helped the Coyotes kill five of the Predators’ six power-play chances, and able to help Nashville’s late push. Juuse Saros made 21 saves for the Predators, who suffered just their third regulation defeat in the last 14 road games.
Nashville recorded the game’s first seven shots on goal, and 10 of 11, but Arizona registered the initial goal of the afternoon with 10:08 remaining in the first period. Beginning with Durzi’s spinning backhanded pass into the slot, which caught the stick of Dylan Guenther, who sent it over for Keller to convert.
Keller made it 2-0 just 1:20 into the second period. Off an own-zone turnover by the Predators, Keller successfully drilled the puck, while open in the circle, past Saros for his sixth goal in six games.
Nashville, though, answered through Josi’s franchise milestone tally. On the power play, the veteran defenseman sent a slap shot through traffic and by a screened Ingram at 3:42 into the second. Shea Weber (166) held the previous mark.
However, Arizona regained its two-goal advantage with 10:10 left in the middle frame, thanks to some relentless pressure on Saros. Jack McBain threw the puck at the net, and Carcone was there to pounce and snap a 14-game goal drought.
Carcone has three goals while Arizona has won the first two meetings with Nashville this season.
–Field Level Media
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