In Glendale, the Los Angeles Kings’ Jeff Carter made a pretty pass to Jake Muzzin with less than two minutes left in regulation. Muzzin redirected the pass into the Arizona Coyotes net for the game-winner in a 3-2 win over the Coyotes.
“I saw the puck coming through the air, and it just landed perfectly on my stick, and I was able to get it up,” Muzzin said. “Nice play by [Carter], lucky play by me, but we’ll take it. We need points and we need to play desperate, and it was big for us to start off 
on the right foot.”
Anze Kopitar and Jordan Nolan also scored for the Kings.
“We’ve been pushing pretty good since right after Christmas,” Kopitar said. “It’s no secret, being where we are in the standings; the points are huge right now.”
Arizona saw their three-game win streak come to an end.
Peter Budaj made 30 saves in the win for LA who now hold down the first wild card spot.
WATCH: All Kings vs. Coyotes highlights
Mike Smith took the loss on 37 saves.
The game-winner came on a power play and the Coyotes were pressing and felt that call and another were unnecessary.
Both of them are soft calls (especially) in a tight game like that,” Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett said. “I watched both of them on replay … and on the second one, Kopitar basically falls down.
“But that’s the way it goes when we spend too much time in our zone. Momentum goes against you and the calls go against you.”
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