Shane Doan scores in 3rd straight game, Coyotes hold off reeling Rangers 3-2

Doan scores again, Coyotes hold off Rangers 3-2

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Shane Doan scored in his third straight game and the Phoenix Coyotes withstood a late rally to beat the reeling New York Rangers 3-2 on Saturday night.

Sami Lepisto had his first career goal and Mikkel Boedker also scored for the Coyotes, who built a three-goal lead in the first period and held on. They have won three straight and six of eight to move three points ahead of Colorado for fourth place in the Western Conference.

Marian Gaborik and Sean Avery scored third-period goals for the Rangers. New York has lost five in a row and is 2-7-1 in its past 10 games.

Gaborik came within inches of tying the game with 1:26 left, bouncing a short-handed attempt off the right post after a scramble in front.

Doan put the Coyotes ahead 1-0 at 6:05 of the first period, skating in from center ice and fighting through Michael Del Zotto’s attempted poke check before sliding the puck off the inside of goalie Chad Johnson’s right leg for his 17th goal.

Boedker, recalled from San Antonio of the American Hockey League on Friday, made it 2-0 just 42 seconds later when he took a pass from Robert Lang in the low slot, turned and scored on a backhand shot.

The Coyotes made it 3-0 when Lepisto took advantage of a crowd in front of the Rangers net and rifled a wrist shot from the point past Johnson at 14:13.

Gaborik snapped the Rangers’ 202-minute road scoreless streak with 10:18 remaining, taking a pass from Eric Christensen on the right doorstep and shooting into the open right side of the net.

Avery made it 3-2 with 8:50 to go, stealing a pass at center ice and beating Jason LaBarbera from the right faceoff circle.

NOTES: The game was played in front of 16,687, the Coyotes’ third-largest crowd of the season. Phoenix was without Scottie Upshall, who sustained a lower-body injury in Thursday’s win over Calgary. Lang’s assist on Boedker’s goal was the 700th of his career. The Rangers had not scored on the road since Dan Boyle’s goal at St. Louis on Jan. 16. Taylor Pyatt added a pair of assists for the Coyotes. Before the game, Phoenix inducted former captain Teppo Numminen into the team’s Ring of Honor. Numminen, who played 1,098 games for the franchise, is the fourth player so honored and the first to have played for the team since its 1996 move to Phoenix from Winnipeg.