Mike Smith makes 44 saves, Coyotes defeat Predators

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Coyotes used seven rookies and 44 saves from veteran goalie Mike Smith to end their six-game losing streak.
Brendan Perlini scored his first NHL goal, and five of Arizona's seven rookies had a point in a 4-1 win against the Nashville Predators at Gila River Arena on Saturday.
"A lot of guys stepped up tonight. We stuck to the game plan and played hard," said Perlini, who scored in his fourth game in the League. "That was the most physical game I've played in the NHL since coming up, and that's what we've got to do: take time and space away and make it hard on people."

WATCH: All Predators vs. Coyotes highlights
Perlini is the fifth Arizona player to score his first NHL goal in the first 27 games of the season.
Rookie Laurent Dauphin scored what proved to be the game-winner for the Coyotes (9-13-5), who were 0-3-3 on their skid, and first-year players Lawson Crouse, Tyler Gaudet and Jakob Chychrun each had an assist.
Crouse had a shot on his first shift, earned his first NHL assist setting up defenseman Alex Goligoski for his first goal with the Coyotes in the first period, and had three of Arizona's 19 hits in the first, including a big one on Viktor Arvidsson in the final seconds that led to a fight with P.K. Subban.
"The way Crouse played tonight, that was a man's game. That was the best game he's played in the NHL so far," Arizona coach Dave Tippett said. "[Nashville] is a high-skill team, and if you let them freewheel, they are tough. We played the game we needed to play."

The Coyotes played without injured forward Max Domi (upper body), as well as forward Anthony Duclair and defenseman Michael Stone, who were scratched. Defenseman Connor Murphy left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury.
It was Arizona's first four-goal game since a 4-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 8. Smith has made 42 or more saves in five of his past 10 starts.
Roman Josi scored for the Predators (12-11-4), who are 3-9-2 in 14 road games, including two losses in Arizona.
"We've got to play faster and better than what we are doing," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. "As the game wore on, there was probably less quality."
Predators goalie Pekka Rinne made 30 saves and was denied his 250th NHL win for the second time.

The Coyotes scored two goals 1:57 apart in the first period.
Crouse beat two Predators to a dump-in behind the Nashville net and set up Goligoski for a wrist shot that beat Rinne to the glove side at 12:50 for a 1-0 lead.
Arizona's fourth line made it 2-0 at 14:47. Ryan White set up Gaudet for a shot that hit the right goal post and bounced onto the stick of Dauphin, who pushed it by the sprawling Rinne.
The Predators answered 1:03 later off a Ryan Johansen faceoff win. Arvidsson set up Josi for a shot that deflected off Chychrun's stick and between Smith's pads at 15:50 to get Nashville to within 2-1.
Perlini extended the Arizona lead when he scored off a pass from Shane Doan at 12:48 to make it 3-1.
Martin Hanzal put back a rebound of a Radim Vrbata shot at 14:28 of the third period to make it 4-1.

Goal of the game

Off the rush, Gaudet hit the post behind Rinne, but Dauphin was charging to the other post and batted in the rebound off the bounce.

Save of the game

Smith sprawled across the crease to stop Craig Smith with a glove save on a 2-on-1 for Nashville with 2:39 left in the first period.

Unsung performance of the game

Down to five defensemen after Murphy left at 10:25 of the first period, Arizona defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson played 30:35 over 34 shifts.

Highlight of the game

Doan's pass in the slot gave Perlini time to beat Rinne over the glove and just inside the post for his first NHL goal.

They said

"I told the trainers before the game, 'I'm getting one tonight.' I had some good opportunities the first couple of games, but I got a better one in the slot and luckily buried. I don't usually celebrate too much but the emotions took over."-- Coyotes forward Brendan Perlini on his first NHL goal
"We knew we were in a battle tonight, and we didn't get the job done." -- Predators forward Austin Watson

Need to know

Six of Arizona's 12 points came from six first-or second-year players. … Doan had a chance to score his 400th NHL goal on a penalty shot in the third period, but Rinne made the save. … Vrbata's assist was his 306th point with the Coyotes, tying Teemu Selanne and Randy Carlyle for 15th in Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise history.

What's next

Predators: Host the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FS-TN, FS-MW, NHL.TV)
Coyotes:At the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday (7 p.m. ET; TVA Sports, ROOT, FS-A, NHL.TV)