In Tempe, the visiting Colorado Avalanche took a 2-0 lead into the third period before the Coyotes rallied with three goals in the third to force extra time on a 3-3 tie.
Clayton Keller tied the game at 15:28 to send the game to extra time which solved nothing.
“The whole team kind of looked like we relaxed in the third period,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “We gave them some good quality looks … and we kind of let off the gas a little bit and let them right back into it. So, it’s a good learning lesson.”
Valeri Nichushkin scored the only marker on penalties in the seventh road to give the Avs a 4-3 win on Sunday.
Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves in the Colorado win.
“In the third they managed to score some goals,” Georgiev said. “They have some skilled players over there and it’s tied, but … [I still thought] we had a good chance to win in overtime. Then the shootout comes, and I just tried to make those saves on those guys and focus on that.”
The Avalanche improved to 43-23-6.
Christian Fischer and Matias Maccelli also scored for the Coyotes in the third period.
“We pushed back really hard and we played really hard. They’re not a team that you can come back against a lot,” Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said. “But in the end, we fought really hard.”
Mikko Rantanen and Bowen Byram scored in the second period to give the Avs the 2-0 lead.
Arizona dropped to 27-34-13.
“We needed to have more confidence with the puck and make some more plays, and I think we did a good job of that in the third,” Keller said. “We fought hard for that point.”
Nichushkin scored in the third period to give the Avs a 3-2 lead.
“We needed that goal. We needed a big way to take the lead back, calm things down a little bit,” Bednar said. “I thought that’s a big moment in the game. [Our players] are under pressure. They know we didn’t play that well to start the period.”
Connor Ingram made 29 saves in the Coyotes loss.
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