Recap: Mistakes Cost Coyotes vs. Isles in Homestand Opener

GLENDALE --The Coyotes needed a win on Tuesday night vs. the New York Islanders to set a positive tone for a critical three-game homestand this week.
They didn't get it.

New York, playing the second game of a back-to-back set after winning at Colorado on Monday, spotted Arizona a 1-0 lead and then rallied for a 3-1 victory at Gila River Arena.
Mario Kempe scored a goal and Darcy Kuemper stopped 29 of 32 shots for the Coyotes, who are 1-6-0 since winning four games in a row.

"The goals they got, it's just (poor) execution, a couple bad passes," Coyotes Head Coach Rick Tocchet said. "In this league, you have to be able to make an 18-foot pass and we didn't and it's in our net. We had some chances and we're not scoring right now, so everything's magnified when you don't score."
Arizona got sloppy with the puck in the second period and New York took advantage. Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier scored goals within a five-minute span and the Coyotes were again forced to "chase the game."
"If you don't manage the puck, you're going to have a tough time," Niklas Hjalmarsson said. "We were bad for 10 minutes in this game, and some other games in the past, and it kind of just kills us. We're playing pretty good, but pretty good is not good enough."

Arizona outshot New York, 16-5, in the third period but Islanders goalie Robin Lehner, who is 4-0-0 vs. the Coyotes in his career, was solid in the final 20 minutes.
"You're looking for leadership in those situations," Tocchet said. "Not just older guys but younger guys. You've got to be able to make a play under pressure. We're not a team that can chase the game. We've got to score some goals."

The Coyotes have scored just six goals in the past four games and rank 30th in the League with 81.
• Trailing 3-1, Arizona was awarded two power plays in the third period but couldn't score. Skating six-on-four with Kuemper on the bench during the final power play late in the game, the Coyotes managed to get just two shots on net.
"We had zone time, we just didn't shoot the puck," Tocchet said. "We hit a lot of their shafts and got a lot blocked. I didn't feel we had guys going to the net either. We had some good zone time, we're just overpassing. We've got to get (Clayton Keller) and (Nick Schmaltz) to shoot the puck more. They've got to shoot the puck and hit the net."
• Kempe gave Arizona a 1-0 lead with a no-look goal through traffic from the top of the right circle at 9:14 of the first period. It was his first goal of the season in his 12th game, and his first goal since Oct. 24 of last season when he also scored vs. the Islanders.
"That's how we are going to score goals, by getting people to the net," Kempe said.

• Kuemper was back in goal after watching Adin Hill play the final two games of a four-game road trip. He made several dazzling saves throughout the game to keep the Coyotes within striking distance.
"I had a couple good practices so I was ready to go," Kuemper said. "Guys are working hard and that's all you can ask. Mistakes are going to happen and right now they seem to be costing us."

• Stats that jump off the Event Summary: Brad Richardson blocked four shots and won 15 of 20 face-offs, and Josh Archibald and Lawson Crouse each delivered six hits.