Game Recap: Sharks vs Coyotes 12/21

SAN JOSE -- Clayton Keller and Alex Kerfoot each had a goal and two assists, and the Arizona Coyotes won their fourth straight game, 5-2 against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Thursday.

Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist, and Karel Vejmelka made 29 saves for the Coyotes (17-13-2), who began their winning streak with a 1-0 victory against the Sharks on Dec. 15. Sean Durzi had two assists in his first game since Dec. 9 in his return from a lower-body injury.

"If you want to be a successful team, you need to be able to win on the road," Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. "We talked about that last year. We had a good start on the road, and then we faded down. So, we want to creep back and be a better team on the road, and I think that is a step in the right direction."

Anthony Duclair and Filip Zadina scored for the Sharks (9-21-3), who have lost four straight. Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves.

"As the game went on, we cheated for offense," San Jose coach David Quinn said. "When you haven't been scoring goals, I think that's what happens, and that's too bad because I thought we had a lot of energy. I thought our first period was good. We answered back when they made it 1-0."

Michael Kesselring gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead at 4:58 of the second period when Keller set him up for a wrist shot.

Duclair tied it 1-1 at 6:20, scoring on a breakaway off a pass from Fabian Zetterlund.

Keller put Arizona back ahead 2-1 at 8:30. Kerfoot passed the puck up the ice to Keller, whose backhanded shot beat Blackwood five-hole.

Kerfoot extended it to 3-1 at 12:56 when he deflected a shot by Durzi in front of the net.

"He's a Swiss Army knife," Tourigny said of Kerfoot. "You can play him wherever you want. You can play him center, right wing, left wing, PK, power play, end of the game when you’re trailing in the game. When you need a goal, he's that kind of a player. We are lucky to have him."

Zadina cut it to 3-2 with a goal 26 seconds into the third period, poking the puck past Vejmelka from the point.

"He's an important player for us," Duclair said of Zadina. "He brings energy and speed. He's got some skill; he's got the right tools. I think it's good for him. It's good for the team."

Schmaltz pushed it to 4-2 at 7:45 on the power play after scoring on a wrist shot in front of the net.

"There’s not much time 5-on-5 where you have the puck and you can make plays, so you've got to take advantage of those power plays," Schmaltz said. "We’ve worked on that play a lot and scored a couple goals this year."

Lawson Crouse scored on a wrist shot at 12:50 for the 5-2 final.

"We've been through this before," Sharks defenseman Jan Rutta said. "We've got to work and not hang our heads that much. There are a lot of areas where we can execute and be better, but we've got some good things. So, just stay positive and keep working."

NOTES: Sharks forward Givani Smith left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury; Quinn did not have an update. … Keller had his 22nd career three-point game and surpassed Brian Mullen for 11th most in franchise history.