Schmaltz, Crouse help Coyotes send Canucks to fourth straight loss

VANCOUVER -- Nick Schmaltz and Lawson Crouse scored 2:29 apart in the third period to help the Arizona Coyotes defeat the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 at Rogers Arena on Wednesday.

Carl Soderberg and Oliver Ekman-Larsson each had a goal and an assist, and Darcy Kuemper made 36 saves for the Coyotes (33-27-8), who moved into a tie with the Canucks and the Winnipeg Jets for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference with their third win in four games.
"We need these points, they are huge chasing these teams in the standings, so it was kind of like a do or die," Schmaltz said. "We battled hard and Kuemper] was there when we needed him."
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Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson scored 2:57 apart early in the third period to put the Canucks ahead 2-1, but Schmaltz tied it by converting his own rebound at 10:10 and Crouse deflected a point shot from Ekman-Larsson at 12:39 to put the Coyotes back ahead 3-2.
"We're a desperate group and we're playing some desperate hockey right now," Crouse said. "We held our composure and we started pouring it on their defense and hanging in, staying in piles and that was a key to it. We just got pucks to the net and stayed around the net and they went in for us."
Ekman-Larsson scored into an empty net from his own goal line with 35 seconds left for the 4-2 final.
"You could sense the urgency right from the start, just playing responsible hockey and being patient with our game and not really accepting anything but a win," Kuemper said. "Give up the lead in the third, that's tough, but we just stuck with it and got two huge goals there."

Thatcher Demko made 36 saves for the Canucks (34-26-6), who have lost four straight games in regulation for the first time this season.
Vancouver is three points behind the Calgary Flames for third place in the Pacific Division.
"It doesn't feel good to lose, especially against a team in our division," Canucks forward Bo Horvat said. "There is a lot of hockey left to play. We have to shake it off."
Soderberg gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead on a power play on a lucky bounce at 7:27 of the first period. Canucks defenseman Oscar Fantenberg's clearing attempt from behind the net deflected off Soderberg's stick below the goal line, bounced high into the air and deflected in off the back of Demko's shoulder.
"You're not going to see that very often," Canucks coach Travis Green said. "With the way things have gone, it could have rattled [Demko] a little bit. It didn't, not at all."

Toffoli tied it 1-1 on the power play 3:19 into the third period, lifting a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Kuemper and under the crossbar from just above the goal line.
Vancouver went ahead 2-1 at 6:16 after Kuemper couldn't control Jake Virtanen's shot off the rush and the rebound deflected through his legs off the skate of Pearson driving the net.
Schmaltz tied it 2-2 after Canucks defenseman Troy Stecher turned it over to Soderberg in the slot. His quick shot was deflected by Schmaltz, who put in his own rebound for his first goal in 15 games.
It was the second straight game the Canucks have surrendered a third-period lead.
"We are kind of shooting ourselves in the foot," Pearson said. "We need to do the opposite. We need to put our foot down and stomp on their throats."

They said it

"It was a big game for them too and you knew there was going to be some momentum swings throughout, a playoff-type game. We weathered the storm well and just stayed patient with our game and didn't really go away from it regardless of what was happening out there." -- Coyotes goalie Darcy Kuemper
"I thought we did a lot of good things. We worked hard, we sustained a lot of pressure in their end, got a lot of shots on net, pucks and bodies there. It was just a matter of getting the bounces to go in. I'm not trying to make excuses. We have to find ways to win." -- Canucks forward Bo Horvat

Need to know

Kuemper was playing his second game after missing two months with a groin injury. … Coyotes forward Vinnie Hinostroza had an assist for his 100th NHL point. … Vancouver forward J.T. Miller had an assist and has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in his past seven games. … Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers was a late scratch with an undisclosed injury. Jordie Benn, who was a healthy scratch for 22 of the previous 28 games, took his place.

What's next

Coyotes: At the Calgary Flames on Friday (9 p.m. ET; SNW, FS-A PLUS, NHL.TV)
Canucks: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Friday (10 p.m. ET; ESPN+, SNP, ALT, NHL.TV)