Wild clip Coyotes for second straight victory

ST. PAUL – Goals by Charlie Coyle and Jason Zucker gave the Minnesota Wild a two-goal lead midway through the second period Saturday, and newly acquired goaltender Devan Dubnyk held the Arizona Coyotes mostly at bay from there in Minnesota’s 3-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes in front of 19,111 at Xcel Energy Center.
The Wild (20-19-5) have now won two games in a row for the first time since Dec. 20.
Minnesota was coming off a 7-0 win over the Sabres in Buffalo, putting an end to a stretch in which the Wild had lost six straight and 12 of 14 dating to Dec. 16.
Arizona (16-24-4) fell for the fourth straight time, and it does not get any easier for the struggling Coyotes. The game Saturday marked the first of an eight-game trip, the longest in franchise history.
Much of the credit for the Wild’s resurgence the last two games can be given to Dubnyk, who was acquired from Arizona for a 2015 third-round pick on Wednesday.
Dubnyk, who shut out Buffalo in his Minnesota debut on Thursday, stopped 25 shots Saturday to pick up his second win in as many starts for the Wild.
Dubnyk even contributed offensively, picking up an assist on Zucker’s second-period goal – a nifty backhand shot the Wild left winger roofed over Arizona goaltender Mike Smith.
Zucker’s team-leading 16th of the season gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead at 8 minutes, 41 seconds of the middle period.
Minnesota had grabbed the lead for good on center Coyle’s fifth of the season, at 13:35 of the first.
After defenseman Christian Folin chipped the puck in from neutral ice, right winger Nino Niederreiter gathered it in the Coyotes’ zone and shoveled it toward the far post, where a streaking Coyle lifted it over Smith’s shoulder.
The Coyotes cut the lead in half on center Antoine Vermette’s goal just 38 seconds into a second-period power play. Arizona defenseman Keith Yandle fired a wrist shot from the high slot, and David Moss deflected it off the ice and the left post before it landed in front of Vermette, who buried it at 13:47.
Left winger Zach Parise’s empty-netter with 53.3 seconds remaining sealed it for Minnesota.
Arizona 0 1 0- 1
Minnesota 1 1 1- 3
First Period-1, Minnesota, Coyle 5 (Niederreiter, Folin) 13:35.
Second Period-2, Minnesota, Zucker 16 (Fontaine, Dubnyk) 8:41. 3, Arizona, Vermette 11 (Moss, Yandle) 13:47 (pp).
Third Period-4, Minnesota, Parise 16 (Koivu) 19:06 (en).
Shots on Goal-Arizona 8-7-11-26. Minnesota 15-13-5-33.
Power-play opportunities-Arizona 1 of 2. Minnesota 0 of 3.
Goalies-Arizona Smith 7-19-2 (32 shots-30 saves). Minnesota Dubnyk 11-5-2 (26-25).
A-19,111 (18,064). T-2:27.