Kessel scores two points for Coyotes in win against Ducks

ANAHEIM -- Phil Kessel had a goal and an assist for the Arizona Coyotes in a 4-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Friday.

Kessel scored his sixth goal in five games to give Arizona a 3-2 lead at 12:02 of the third period. He passed the puck to the front of the net from below the goal line, and it went in off Alexander Volkov when he slid into the crease and collided with goalie
Anthony Stolarz
.
Jordan Gross
had three assists, Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist, and
Lane Pederson
scored in his NHL debut for the Coyotes (17-15-5), who have won four of five. Adin Hill made 27 saves.
"It's been a dream come true," Pederson said of his first game. "You work your whole life to get to this moment. There were a lot of emotions today, a lot of nerves, but it was a lot of fun. I'm just so thankful for the opportunity."
Volkov scored in his Anaheim debut, and Stolarz made 27 saves in his second start of the season for the Ducks (11-21-6), who have lost two in a row.
The teams will play again here Sunday.
"We had enough chances to win the game, that's for sure," Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said. "We just have to find a way to bear down and bury them."

Jakob Silfverberg gave the Ducks a 2-1 lead at 4:28 of the second period when the puck went into the net off his skate after it came off the glass behind the net. The goal was upheld after video review determined there was no distinct kicking motion.
"On the bench, we thought it was no goal," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. "[The players] were upset about it, but they didn't let it affect their game."
Pederson took advantage of an odd bounce in the corner that sent the puck into the slot, where he was all alone to tie the game 2-2 at 10:47 of the second.
Gross, who was playing his sixth NHL game, has spent much of this season playing with Pederson for Tucson of the American Hockey League.
"It's great to see," Gross said of Pederson's performance. "The coaching staff in Tucson does a really good job of developing guys. They're a big reason why these guys are able to come in and step in like this."
Volkov scored off a feed from Max Comtois to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 16:06 of the first period after they botched a 2-on-1. Volkov was acquired in a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 24.
Volkov had a wide-open net 25 seconds before his goal, but Arizona forward Christian Dvorak stuck out his skate and slowed the puck enough for Hill to slide over and cover it.
Johan Larsson tied it 1-1 at 18:43 when he took a bank pass off the wall, entered the Anaheim zone with speed, got around defenseman Josh Manson, and shot high short side from below the right face-off circle.

Coming off a six-game road trip (2-4-0), Eakins said he didn't like the way the Ducks played to begin the game.
"For whatever reason, when you come off the road, that first period is such a lull," he said. "I did not like our first period one bit. I thought we got better in the second, we were OK in the third, but we need to find a way to come out harder."
Silfverberg had a chance to tie the game after he got open below the left circle, but his shot hit the side of the net, and Schmaltz scored 34 seconds later to make it 4-2 with 3:04 left.
"We had a couple of wide-open nets, but their goalie somehow got a stick on or a pad on," Eakins said. "It just wasn't our night with the hockey gods, that's for sure."
Eakins challenged the Schmaltz goal for goaltender interference, but it was upheld after video review, and Anaheim received a minor penalty for delay of game.
NOTES: Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf left the game at 10:38 of the second period with an upper-body injury. Eakins did not have an update. ... Anaheim goalie John Gibson was unavailable for a third straight game because of an upper-body injury, but Eakins said he is hopeful he'll return against Arizona on Sunday. ... Forward Rickard Rakell, who is tied with Comtois for the Ducks lead with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists), missed a second straight game with an upper-body injury.