GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Jacob Markstrom’s first start in five games was a successful one, and his 42 saves helped the Vancouver Canucks beat the Arizona Coyotes 3-1 on Sunday night.
Daniel Sedin broke a tie with 8:17 to play by scoring his second goal of the game, giving Markstrom his first win in two weeks. On the winner, Sedin tipped in a long shot from Brock Boeser for his 18th goal of the season.
Darren Archibald scored a short-handed goal with 5:52 to go to help Vancouver win for the second time in six games.
Markstrom gave up four goals the last time he played, Feb. 14 against Florida.
“I only played one period, so it’s been frustrating having that as the last game I played,” he said. “I wanted to erase that from my memory.”
The Canucks spoiled the debut of new Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who arrived in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. Kuemper made 24 saves.
“We’re playing better as a team and it makes it easier for all of us,” Sedin said.
Vancouver held a 1-0 lead until midway through the third period on Sedin’s early goal. But the Coyotes ended an 0-for-17 power-play drought that spanned four games with Alex Goligoski’s goal at 9:18 of the third.
Goligoski put in a rebound for his ninth goal of the season.
The Canucks responded quickly with Sedin’s goal, then Brandon Sutter got free on a Coyotes power play, found Archibald on the wing and he put away his second of the season.
The Canucks got a big break when a Coyotes goal 43 seconds into the game was disallowed by a goaltender interference penalty against Brad Richardson. He collided with Markstrom in the net as teammate Nick Cousins’ shot went in.
Vancouver scored on the resulting power play with some crisp passing. Henrik Sedin found Derrick Pouliot, who tapped the puck over to Daniel Sedin for a clear shot. Kuemper was too far to the other side to stop the puck and Daniel Sedin had his first goal at 2:16 of the first.
“That was a double whammy for us,” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said.
Henrik Sedin picked up his team-leading 38th assist of the season. The Canucks have a power-play goal in three straight games.
The second period featured saves by each goalie on breakaways. Kuemper turned away Canucks center Bo Horvat’s attempt, and a few minutes later, at the 8:26 mark, Markstrom stopped Clayton Keller’s open drive.
“Getting that first game under my belt, I feel more a part of it now and a part of the group now,” Kuemper said.
The Canucks improved to 4-4 in the second of back-to-back games this season, while Arizona is 1-7-2.
NOTES: It was the first of four meetings between the teams. With 20 games left for each club, they’ll play three more times before the regular season ends. … The Canucks scratched Thomas Vanek, who is tied for second on the team in goals with 17, amid speculation he could be dealt by Monday afternoon’s NHL trade deadline. Vanek had not missed a game all season. “There’s a chance it might happen, there’s a chance it might not happen, too,” Vancouver coach Travis Green said of a deal for the 34-year-old forward. … D Alex Edler and forward Loui Eriksson left the ice late in the third period with apparent injuries, Edler on a blocked shot and Eriksson on a hit from Arizona’s Max Domi, but no update was given after the game. … Coyotes forward Richard Panik is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, but missed a second straight game. … Nineteen-year-old Coyotes D Jakob Chychrun played his 100th NHL game.
UP NEXT
Canucks: At Colorado on Monday night.
Coyotes: Host Minnesota on Thursday night.
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A previous version of this story was corrected with the time of Sedin’s tiebreaking goal, and a save was added to Markstrom’s total to reflect an official scoring change.
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