GLENDALE, Ariz. — Eddie Lack stopped 24 shots two days after being called out by his coach, and Derek Ryan scored on a strange bounce in the third period Sunday to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 2-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
Lack was criticized by coach Bill Peters on Friday following a poor performance against Tampa Bay. Lack was sharp in his ninth start of the season, helping the Hurricanes end a four-game losing streak with their second victory in 11 games.
Ryan punched in the game-winner with just more than three minutes left when a shot caromed off the stick of Coyotes defenceman Jakob Chychrun, then off the crossbar and out front. Tuevo Teravainen also scored for Carolina, which has won six straight in Arizona.
The Coyotes failed to capitalize on three power plays in the third, including a brief 5-on-3 against the NHL’s least-penalized team.
Peter Holland scored and Mike Smith stopped 33 shots in his 300th game with the Coyotes.
The Hurricanes and Coyotes were completing a home-and-home, only with an extra day in between. Arizona won the first matchup 4-2 behind captain Shane Doan’s three-point night.
For the second go-round, the teams switched up goalies. Lack allowed four goals on 16 shots Wednesday in a 4-3 overtime loss to Tampa Bay his last start, prompting the harsh words from Peters.
Lack was sharp in the first period this time, turning away eight shots.
Smith was even better, making a couple of spectacular saves among the 14 he had in the opening frame.
After the scoreless first, the goals came quickly in the second.
Holland had the first one, swiping the puck into the net after a shot trickled through Lack’s pads and sat at the back of the crease for a few seconds.
Teravainen scored his 12th of the season 83 seconds later on a shot from the point that appeared to hit a skate and carom past Smith.
NOTES: Carolina LW Brock McGinn missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury. … Smith is second on the franchise list for games played by a goalie to Bob Essensa’s 311. … Arizona’s Anthony Duclair had an assist in his first home game since Jan. 16. He was recalled from Tucson of the AHL on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Carolina plays at Colorado on Tuesday before heading home for two games.
Arizona hosts Ottawa on Thursday in the second of a four-game homestand.
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