As head coach Rick Tocchet always preaches, the Coyotes need to handle pressure by going after the pressure.

They did, Wednesday.

The result was a 4-1 win and a 2-1 games advantage in the best-of-five series. Arizona can clinch and advance Friday.

The Coyotes were under extreme fire -- the kind of pressure Tocchet warns against -- in the first period, as the Predators came out of the gate in all-out attack. Nashville fired away for 19 first-period shots; Kuemper stopped them all.

The Coyotes are coming off a 4-2 loss in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse each scored; Derek Stepan, Christian Fischer and Jordan Oesterle recorded assists. Darcy Kuemper made 24 saves. 

No. 11 Arizona (1-1) vs. No. 6 Nashville (1-1)

• Game 3: 11:30 a.m. PT
• Rogers Place - Edmonton, AB
• TV: FOX Sports Arizona (NHL Network)
• Radio: FOX Sports 910 AM

Series tied, 1-1

One game apiece.

It now is a three-game series. 

The Coyotes look to rebound from a loss and reclaim a series lead Wednesday afternoon in a pivotal Game 3.

Arizona will enact its 'short memory' mantra following Tuesday's 4-2 loss to Nashville. 

It was only one game. Forget it and look ahead.

"We'll move by this (game) in about two minutes," head coach Rick Tocchet stressed.

The Coyotes face a short turnaround. Game 3 is less than 24 hours away; the series is now tied, 1-1.

The Coyotes are coming off a 4-3 victory in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Christian Dvorak, Clayton Keller and Michael Grabner scored in the win. Darcy Kuemper made 40 saves.

No. 11 Arizona (1-0) at No. 6 Nashville (0-1)

• Game 2: 11:30 a.m. PT
• Rogers Place - Edmonton, AB
• TV: FOX Sports Arizona Plus (NBCSN, NHL Network)
• Radio: FOX Sports 910 AM

Coyotes lead series, 1-0

Head coach Rick Tocchet is not wasting time reliving the Coyotes' Game 1 win. 

"To be honest, you've got to forget about that game," he said Monday. "I know you can feel good about yourself, but sometimes when you feel too good about yourself, you get too comfortable."

The Coyotes enter Game 2 Tuesday with a series lead, but Tocchet advises against any sense of security. He believes the Predators will pounce if given any opportunity.

Michael Grabner used his specialty Sunday to put the Nashville Predators in an early hole in the qualifying series in Edmonton.

Grabner scored the game-winning goal -- shorthanded, a Grabner trademark -- in the second period of the 4-3 Coyotes win.

The result? The Coyotes took their first playoff game in more than eight years, aided by the impact of eight first-time playoff participants, and earned a 1-0 lead in the five-game series.

You're probably predicting a Coyotes win -- and you can win along with them. 

Yotes Play, a free interactive game, provides a prized opportunity for Coyotes fans. 

And, the odds are in your favor from the get-go.

Participating fans will be entered to win a "State Forty Eight" t-shirt, 25 available for each game. 

Additionally, one grand prize also will be available for each game -- a one-night stay in the "Coyotes Room" at the Gila River Casinos Hotel. And that's not all. A $50 gift card also is included. The room is available at both Wild Horse Pass & Vee Quiva locations. The grand-prize winner will be selected at random from all participants 21 and over.

Darcy Kuemper donned a new mask Thursday. He will wear it with the Coyotes' Kachina uniforms during home playoff games.

David Gunnarsson, the artist behind "DaveArt," created the mask. He and Kuemper worked on the design during the pause. Gunnarsson described the mask to ArizonaCoyotes.com Saturday as having "the cool effect of the DaveArt 4-D experience," which is presented, he continued, by "a sweet mix of glossy and matte clear coat paint."

The Coyotes will face the Nashville Predators in a best-of-five Stanley Cup Qualifier series, starting Sunday. ArizonaCoyotes.com breaks down the match-up, history, schedule, broadcast information and more in this comprehensive preview: 

No. 11 Arizona Coyotes vs. No. 6 Nashville Predators 

Coyotes: 33-29-8 (.529 points percentage)

Predators: 35-26-8 (.565 points percentage) 

The Coyotes look to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in eight years; the Predators hope to extend their postseason streak to six.

Eleven-seed versus six-seed. Are the odds stacked against Arizona? Maybe on paper, but not so fast.

Taylor Hall made it clear prior to Thursday's test run: win or lose, there would be no overreacting to the result of the exhibition game.

"We're still eyeing Game 1 (against Nashville) as peaking, as being our best performance," Hall said. "This wasn't the result we wanted, but sometimes it's better to get a kick in the butt to reinforce what we have to do as a team, and how we have to play." 

Hall scored the Coyotes' lone goal in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Golden Knights.

It's only an exhibition, but it feels like so much more.

When the puck drops Thursday night, it will mark the first live, competitive action for the Coyotes in 144 days. They last played March 9 in Winnipeg.

This game has been a long time coming: the March 12 pause; the May 26 unveiling of the Return to Play Plan, the July 10 Board of Governors and NHLPA approval.

Thursday's game doesn't count, but, ironically, it also counts for a lot.

It is the sole test for the Coyotes before Game 1 of their best-of-five Stanley Cup Qualifiers series against the Predators, beginning Sunday.