Smith stops 28 shots, Coyotes hold off Maple Leafs 3-2 after nearly blowing early lead

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Mike Smith stopped 28 shots, Sam Gagner scored in his second straight game and the Arizona Coyotes held off the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 Tuesday night.

Arizona scored six goals in its last game and kept its offensive surge rolling, going up 3-0 by early second period against Toronto goalie James Reimer. Gagne and Martin Erat scored in the first period, Antoine Vermette in the second.

The Maple Leafs rallied against Arizona's struggling power play, pulling within 3-2 after Cody Franson scored with a man advantage late in the third period. Dion Phaneuf also scored on a power play in the second.

Phil Kessel had a pair of assists for the Maple Leafs and Reimer stopped 30 shots after facing 47 against Chicago his last start.

Smith has allowed seven goals in three starts after giving up six goals three times his first six games.

Arizona broke out of its season-long offensive funk on Sunday, equally its goal total of the five previous games combined in a 6-5 road win over Washington that ended a three-game losing streak.

The Coyotes picked up right where they left off.

Gagner appeared to get a boost playing on a line with Lauri Korpikoski and Mikkel Boedker against Washington, scoring his first goal with the Coyotes.

Korpikoski set him up again in the first period against Toronto, stealing a pass from Jake Gardiner behind the goal and feeding it out front to Gagner, who beat Reimer with a one-timer.

Erat made it 2-0 late in the period, circling from behind the net for a backhanded shot that caromed off Toronto defenceman Stephane Robidas past Reimer.

Vermette scored early in the second period, when he missed a shot wide, came up with the puck again and sneaked in a wraparound before Reimer could get to the post.

Arizona was good in its own end at the start, holding Toronto to three shots on goal in the first period, none in the final 12 1-2 minutes.

When the Maple Leafs finally turned up the pressure, Smith made some big saves, including one on his back to stop Tyler Bozak.

Toronto broke through on a power play early in the second period, when Phaneuf beat Mike Smith from above the left circle on a power play.

Franson pulled the Maple Leafs within one with 6:07 left, beating Smith with a one-timer after a nifty pass by James van Riemsdyk.

Notes: With his goal against Washington on Sunday, Arizona's Tobias Rieder became the first German-born player to score in his NHL debut since Marco Sturm did it for San Jose on Oct. 4, 1997. ... Toronto (3-1) lost for the first time on Tuesday this season. ... The Coyotes and Maple Leafs will meet again in Toronto on Jan. 29.