Martinook helps Coyotes defeat Kings, end skid

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- A set play that Shane Doan and Jordan Martinook have worked on many times in practice clicked and helped the Arizona Coyotes to a much-needed victory.
Martinook caught up to Doan's high flip pass from the Arizona zone at the red line, gloved the puck past Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty and tucked a backhand behind goalie Jonathan Quick 22 seconds in the third period to provide the difference in a 3-2 win at Gila River Arena on Saturday

"He just flipped it right where it needed to be," said Martinook, who scored for the first time in 16 games. "I don't think Doughty knew I was that close, and I grabbed it. It sat down good for me, and I just tried to make a quick move. [Doan] is so good at that flip and he just always says, 'You go and skate into it.' That's exactly what I tried to do, and that time it worked."
Doan and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Coyotes (23-19-5), who ended a four-game losing streak (0-3-1). Goalie Louis Domingue made 26 saves and overcame a strange goal in the second period to improve to 8-2-3 in 13 starts this season.
The Coyotes are 3-0-1 against the Kings and 11-2-2 against the Pacific Division. They went 3-3-1 on a homestand that started with two wins.
"Obviously, we wish that it was better," Martinook said. "But to finish the way we did, with a win against L.A., it's a big win and hopefully it gets us going."
Nicholas Shore and Dustin Brown scored for the Kings (29-15-3), who have lost two games in a row and three of five. Quick made 21 saves.
"I don't think tonight was nearly as good as it needed to be for a win," Kings center Anze Kopitar said. "Top to bottom, everybody's got to be a lot better. It's a quick turnaround going into a tough building (at the San Jose Sharks on Sunday), so we've got to be ready."
Kings forward Milan Lucic was ejected 6:55 into the third period after he was called for roughing against Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton.
Connauton slashed Lucic on his left hand around the Arizona net with Los Angeles on the power play. When play was whistled down a few seconds later, Lucic charged Connauton and sent him to the ice with a gloved right hand to the head.
Lucic said he thought his hand was broken by the slash after it went numb, but X-rays were negative.
After falling behind in each of their past three games, the Coyotes outshot the Kings 13-5 in the first period, when they took a 1-0 lead on Doan's goal.
Shortly after Los Angeles defenseman Christian Ehrhoff's holding penalty expired, Antoine Vermette tried to set up Tobias Rieder in the slot, but the pass came in too hot, and Rieder opted to send a touch pass back to Michael Stone at the right point. Stone's end-over-end shot hit Doan in the chest and found the net at 13:43.
The goal was Doan's 17th of the season and 37th against the Kings, the most he's scored against any opponent. The two points Saturday give him 925 in his NHL career, four shy of Dale Hawerchuk's Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise record of 929.
The Kings answered with a strong start to the second period, when they had seven shots in the first seven minutes and tied the game on a strange play.
Domingue played the puck behind the net and was hit by Kings forward Tanner Pearson as he attempted a pass. Domingue hit the ice belly-first, and his stick slid out near center ice. Believing he had been interfered with on the play, Domingue took off his mask, but play continued, and Shore put his third goal into the vacated net at 6:53.
"I'm still learning in this league," Domingue said. "I never thought they would give the goal … the strapping came off my mask and I couldn't see; the mask goes below your eyes, so I just took it off. I thought they would blow the whistle. I should have gone back in the goal and I will never make that mistake again.
"I never dive on any play, so he definitely put me down. But I never thought it should have been a penalty. I just thought the play would end."
The Coyotes got the goal back on the power play after Kings defenseman Luke Schenn was called for hooking. Mikkel Boedker made a nice play to keep the puck in at the line, and Max Domi patiently waited for an opening before putting a saucer pass across the slot that Ekman-Larsson settled before putting a wrist shot past Quick at 9:19 of the second.
It was Ekman-Larsson's 14th goal of the season and his fourth in four games against the Kings. Eight of his 14 goals have come on the power play.
Domi has 18 of his 32 points in 15 games against Pacific Division opponents.
The Kings tied the game with 3:05 left in the second. Center Jeff Carter gained possession, took a return pass from Schenn and beat Domingue with a shot that hit the far post. The puck bounced right to Brown, who slid in his first goal and first point in 11 games.
Domingue protected the lead with quality saves on Brown with 5:45 left and Doughty with 2:21 remaining. Arizona's forecheck took over in the final minute, forcing two icings by Los Angeles, and Rieder, Vermette and Boyd Gordon hemmed the Kings in their own zone for the final 45 seconds.
"The whole bench was on their feet cheering for those guys at the end, and it's a great moment for the team," Doan said. "It shows you the kind of group we have, and it was a great way to end a win we really needed."