GLENDALE, Ariz. — Adin Hill stopped 25 shots and the Arizona Coyotes ended Vegas Golden Knights’ 10-game winning streak while keeping their playoff hopes alive with a 3-0 win Friday night.
Arizona failed on a chance to solidify its playoff chances over the past two weeks, losing four of five games to drop behind St. Louis for the West Division’s final playoff spot.
The Coyotes played the Golden Knights, the division’s top team, with a playoff-like intensity in a physical, fast-paced game.
John Hayden and Michael Bunting scored, and Arizona shut down a Vegas team that had outscored teams 45-17 during its franchise-long win streak. Hill finished off his second shutout this season — third career— and Christian Fischer capped it with an empty-net goal, allowing the Coyotes to pull within three points of the Blues for fourth in the West.
Robin Lehner had 29 saves for the Golden Knights, who saw their lead in the West Division tighten. Vegas leads Colorado by four points after the Avalanche beat San Jose.
The Coyotes played like a team fighting for a playoff spot and the Golden Knights like a team on a 10-game winning streak in a hard-hitting, back-and-forth first period.
Both goalies made spectacular saves before Hayden beat Lehner from the slot on a rebound midway through the period.
Vegas picked up the pressure at the end of the first into the second with a series of rushes and quality chances. Hill was sharp and the Coyotes counterpunched the second half of the period.
It carried over into the third and Bunting capitalized, punching in a round 1:30 in to make it 2-0.
Vegas turned up the pressure, but Hill made some difficult saves and Fischer closed out Arizona’s must-win game with an empty netter.
UP NEXT
The Golden Knights lead the Coyotes 5-2 heading into Saturday’s season series finale.
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