Koivu Scores In OT, Wild Beat Coyotes 4-3
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Mikko Koivu scored at 2:43 of overtime to give Minnesota a 4-3 comeback victory over Phoenix on Wednesday night, extending the Wild's winning streak to seven and the Coyotes' skid to seven.
Koivu skated out from the corner and beat goalie Jason LaBarbera between the pads.
Minnesota tied it with 54.3 seconds left in regulation, with Ryan Suter scoring on a wrist shot from the left point with Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom off for an extra attacker.
Torrey Mitchell and Matt Cullen also scored for the Wild, and Backstrom stopped 24 shots.
Rob Klinkhammer, Boyd Gordon and Michael Stone scored for Phoenix. LaBarbera made 33 saves.
The Coyotes, in serious danger of missing the playoff after reaching the Western Conference finals last season, finally found some offense after being outscored 16-5 in their previous six losses.
Stone gave Phoenix a 3-2 lead early in the third period. Backstrom, who has won a career-best seven straight games, stopped Shane Doan at the edge of the crease and the puck trickled out to the top of the right circle to Stone, who let go with a slap shot that found the top corner.
Minnesota opened the scoring on Mitchell's goal off a rebound with 4:45 left in the first period, and Cullen made it 2-0 at 5:29 of the second. From behind his net, LaBarbera tried to clear the puck up the ice, but Cullen knocked it down with his stick and put it into the empty net.
Klinkhammer countered at 11:13, fighting of a check and lifting a shot over Backstrom's glove. Gordon tied it with 5:32 left in the period, tipping in Keith Yandle's weak shot for his first goal in 35 games.
NOTES: Cullen has three goals and 11 assists in his last 14 games. ... Phoenix LW Lauri Korpikoski missed a game for the first time this season. He's day-to-day with an upper-body injury. ... Minnesota has scored first in 10 of its last 12 games. ... Phoenix is 1-9-3 this season when trailing after one period, and 8-1-1 when leading after 20 minutes.
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