National Hockey League
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Arizona 5, San Jose 3
When: 9:00 PM ET, Saturday, April 4, 2015
Where: Gila River Arena, Glendale, Arizona
Referees: Francois St. Laurent, Francis Charron
Linesmen: Lonnie Cameron, Vaughan Rody
Attendance: 14752

Coyotes 5, Sharks 3: Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored two goals and set up another as Arizona ended its eight-game slide at home (0-7-1) and dealt a crushing blow to San Jose's playoff chances.

Captain Shane Doan recorded a goal and two assists while Mark Arcobello and Sam Gagner both added one of each for the Coyotes, who posted their first victory at Gila River Arena since edging Vancouver in a shootout on March 5. Mike Smith turned aside 42 shots as Arizona earned a split of the home-and-home series and finished 2-3-0 in the five-game season set.

Chris Tierney registered a power-play tally and an assist while Tomas Hertl and Joe Thornton also scored for the Sharks, who had their five-game point streak (4-0-1) come to an end. Rookie defenseman Taylor Fedun notched his first career multi-point performance with two assists and Antti Niemi made 31 saves as San Jose remained five points behind Los Angeles for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with three games left.

The teams combined for three power-play goals in the first period, with Arizona emerging with a 2-1 lead. Ekman-Larsson wristed the puck inside the left post from the top of the slot at 11:53 and Hertl answered by backhanding his own rebound past Smith with 3:24 left before Doan buried a loose puck after defenseman Michael Stone's blast from the top of the right faceoff circle hit the left post.

Ekman-Larsson increased the advantage from low in the left circle with 2:14 remaining in the second session, but Thornton responded from a sharp angle 19 seconds later to get San Jose back within one. Arcobello converted a cross-ice pass from Doan 5 1/2 minutes into the third to make it 4-2 before Tierney tipped defenseman Matt Irwin's one-timer past Smith 78 seconds later to tighten things.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Ekman-Larsson raised his season total to 23 goals - tying the franchise single-season record for a defenseman held by Phil Housley, who hit the mark in 1990-91 and again the following campaign. Ekman-Larsson's two-tally effort was his second of the season, as he also scored twice on March 19 against Colorado. ... Coyotes D Connor Murphy appeared in his 100th career game. ... Sharks C Logan Couture was kept off the scoresheet, ending his five-game point streak.
Top Game Performances
 
San Jose   Arizona
Chris Tierney 2 Points Oliver Ekman-Larsson 3
Chris Tierney 1 Goals Oliver Ekman-Larsson 2
Taylor Fedun 2 Assists Shane Doan 2
Chris Tierney 1 Power Play Goals Oliver Ekman-Larsson 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Antti Niemi .886 Save Percentage Mike Smith .933
Antti Niemi 31 Saves Mike Smith 42
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
San Jose 45 3 2-6 2-4 8 37
Arizona 36 5 2-4 4-6 12 29
Upcoming Games
  • Arizona will play their next game on the road against Calgary. The Coyotes have a W/L % of .348 after a win and .286 after a loss.
  • San Jose will play their next game at home against Dallas. The Sharks have a W/L % of .462 after a win and .525 after a loss.