Predators get past Coyotes, push point streak to 13

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Nashville Predators extended their point streak to 13 games with a 3-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on Thursday.

Kyle Turris and Kevin Fiala scored 4:09 apart in the third period to lift Nashville to its second consecutive victory, 12th in 13 games (12-0-1). Pekka Rinne made 32 saves for his 39th win, second in the NHL behind Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning (40).
The Predators (46-14-10) have an eight-point lead for first place in the Central Division over the Winnipeg Jets, who earlier defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2.
WATCH: [All Predators vs. Coyotes highlights]
"The guys know that they're chasing points right now," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. "Everything we talk about is to try and improve our position for the [Stanley Cup] Playoffs and home ice. You've got to go out and do the work, and we did in the third."

Christian Dvorak and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for Arizona (23-36-11), which is 5-2-1 in its past eight games, 11-4-2 in its past 17.
Darcy Kuemper made 26 saves for the Coyotes in coach Rick Tocchet's return. Tocchet missed a 4-3 shootout win against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday after he took a leave of absence Monday to be with his mother, Norma, who died Wednesday.
"We didn't give them much tonight," said Tocchet, whose team was eliminated from playoff contention Wednesday. "That's a championship team there. They're locked and loaded. You let them hang around a little bit, they're going to score some goals."
Turris scored 22 seconds into the third to tie the game 2-2 after Fiala found him alone in the slot with a pass from behind the net.

Fiala gave Nashville a 3-2 lead at 4:31. Turris won a face-off cleanly in the left circle to Fiala at the hash marks, and Fiala's wrist shot beat Kuemper to the far side.
"We didn't play bad the first two periods, we just felt like we had more to give," said Turris, who had two assists. "We know what we're capable of when we're playing to the level we want to play."
The Predators thought they took a 1-0 lead at 3:40 of the first period when Turris beat Kuemper, but the goal was overturned after Tocchet challenged for offside and video review showed Turris entered the Coyotes zone ahead of the puck at 3:36.
Dvorak gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead at 4:09 of the second period when he scored off the rebound of his own shot.

Defenseman Ryan Ellis tied it 1-1 at 5:49 when he kicked Craig Smith's pass on a 2-on-1 from his skate to his stick and beat Kuemper inside the right post.
Ekman-Larsson gave the Coyotes a 2-1 lead at 16:28. Clayton Keller slipped a pass across the slot, and Ekman-Larsson beat Rinne with a wrist shot through traffic.

Goal of the game

Fiala's goal at 4:31 of the third period.

Save of the game

Rinne stopping Keller at 2:24 of the third period.

Highlight of the game

Ekman-Larsson's goal at 16:28 of the second period.

They said it

"It hasn't always been perfect. It never is, I don't think, for any NHL team. The 60 minutes always has a little bit of give and take in it, but there's been more that we've taken and gone out and earned and worked for." -- Predators coach Peter Laviolette on their 13-game point streak
"I'll take the credit for that one, a blown face-off and they score. It shouldn't happen." -- Coyotes center Brad Richardson, who lost the face-off prior to Kevin Fiala's game-winning goal

Need to know

The longest point streak in Predators history is 14 games (9-0-5, Feb. 12-March 9, 2016). ... Nashville has allowed two goals or fewer in 10 games during its point streak. ... The Predators were 0-2-2 in Arizona since a 2-1 overtime win March 9, 2015. ... Ellis has one goal and three assists in a four-game point streak, and has 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in his past 13 games. ... Rinne is 10-0-0 with a 1.80 goals-against average and .945 save percentage in his past 10 games. ... The Coyotes have scored two goals or fewer in nine of their past 12 games. ... Keller has two goals and three assists in his past five games after setting up Ekman-Larsson's goal. His 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) are fourth among NHL rookies.

What's next

Predators: At the Colorado Avalanche on Friday (9 p.m. ET; ALT, FS-TN, NHL.TV)
Coyotes: Host the Minnesota Wild on Saturday (9 p.m. ET; FS-A PLUS, FS-N, NHL.TV)