Arizona Coyotes’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23), of Sweden, celebrates his goal against the Los Angeles Kings with Max Domi (16), Martin Hanzal (11), of the Czech Republic, and Anthony Duclair (10) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. Ross D. Franklin AP Photo
MIKE CRANSTON – Associated Press
GLENDALE, ARIZ.
The Arizona Coyotes watched as their goaltender, without a stick and away from the crease, removed his mask during play and allowed a goal into a wide-open net.
They overcame that with Shane Doan playing the role of quarterback, throwing the puck to speedy Jordan Martinook for the winner.
Martinook scored 22 seconds into the third period to snap a tie, Doan had a goal and an assist, and Arizona withstood a bizarre goal by Los Angeles to beat the Kings 3-2 on Saturday night.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored and rookie Louis Domingue stopped 21 shots as the Coyotes snapped a four-game skid and handed the Pacific Division leaders their second consecutive loss.
“I’m still learning in this league,” Domingue said after his gaffe.
Nick Shore scored into an open net after Domingue removed his mask, and Dustin Brown scored his first goal in 11 games for the Kings, who have dropped three of four to Arizona.
The Kings played the final 13:05 without Milan Lucic, who received a game misconduct after landing a right hook into Kevin Connauton’s face after Connauton slashed him on the left hand.
“Thankfully, X-rays came back negative,” Lucic said. “If I don’t react, I don’t even think he calls a penalty. Same guy, (referee) Brad Meier. I think that’s the fourth time he’s kicked me out of a game. It’s always the same thing with him.”
Martinook roofed a backhand over Jonathan Quick (26 saves) off a breakaway on the first shift of the third. It came after Doan came up with a flying puck and sent it down the ice, a play Doan said they’ve worked on in practice.
“It’s a set play because he’s really, really, really fast,” Doan said. “I can’t keep up with him, so I figure I’ve got to throw the puck as far as I can up ice. And as far as I can flip it, he’s going to skate under it.
“He is so fast and he doesn’t get any credit for it. … I’ve got to work on the back shoulder throw, though.”
The Coyotes finished 3-3-1 on their longest homestand of the season after giving up an odd goal early in the second period.
After playing the puck behind the net, Domingue got tangled up with the Kings’ Tanner Pearson, then fell into teammate Boyd Gordon.
Domingue, who lost his stick, got up and removed his mask near the faceoff circle. Only there was no whistle. Play continued and Shore tied it at 1.
The 23-year-old Domingue charged the officials to complain he was interfered with. But after a long delay, the goal stood.
“My strapping was off, so I couldn’t see, so I just took my mask off,” Domingue said. “Honestly, I never thought they would give the goal.”
Ekman-Larsson put the Coyotes ahead on a power-play goal less than 3 minutes later off an impressive saucer feed from Max Domi.
Brown then scored his first goal since Dec. 29 when he poked in Jeff Carter’s shot that hit the post.
Searching for offense after Arizona scored four goals in four games, coach Dave Tippett tinkered with his lines. Struggling rookie Anthony Duclair was demoted to the fourth line, and Viktor Tikhonov moved to the second.
Defenseman Jarred Tinordi, acquired from Montreal a week ago in the John Scott deal, made his Arizona debut with Nicklas Grossman (ill) sitting out.
The changes seemed to spark Arizona, which outshot the Kings 12-3 in the first period. The lone goal came when Michael Stone’s shot bounced off Doan’s chest and past Quick at 13:43.
Doan was left with a black mark in the middle of his sweater after his team-best 17th goal. The 39-year-old Doan also passed Luc Robitaille and Scott Mellanby and moved into a tie with Mike Gartner for 25th on the NHL list by playing in his 1,432nd career game.
NOTES: The Kings matched a season low for shots in the first period. … The Coyotes didn’t hold a morning skate, but G Mike Smith (abdominal surgery) took some easy shots. He last played Dec. 8. “He’ll get another four-day block this week,” Tippett said. “We’ll see where he is coming out of the (All-Star) break, whether he’s close to being a practice player or not.”
