Trailing the Wild by around 10 points in the standings a week ago, the Coyotes had a chance to cut into that deficit with three games versus Minnesota in a span of eight nights.
Instead, the Wild used those games as an opportunity to bury the Coyotes in the West Division standings, which now have Minnesota ahead of Arizona by 16 points. The Wild also has two games in hand, and the Coyotes have just nine games remaining.
The Wild has now won five consecutive games and has guaranteed itself at least a .500 road trip, with back-to-back games in Los Angeles and San Jose remaining this weekend.
2. Cam keeps them in it.
If not for a superhuman effort from goaltender Cam Talbot early in the game, it might not have been much of one at all.
Badly needing a win, the Coyotes came out absolutely smoking hot, piling up a 10-1 edge in shots in just the first 6 1/2 minutes of the game. Talbot was there each and every time, however, making at least two or three 10-bell saves during that stretch, including one on Derrick Brassard and another two on Phil Kessel.
Arizona scored on the power play on its 11th shot of the night, but Talbot again closed the door after that, making a series of stops again late in the second after the Wild tied the game.
Through 40 minutes, the Coyotes had doubled up the Wild in both shots on goal and shot attempts, and through 40, Talbot had already piled up 30 saves.
3. Turnover turns it around.
Down a goal in the second period, Minnesota got on the board thanks to a turnover by the Coyotes in the neutral zone. Ian Cole passed the puck ahead to Nico Sturm, who led a 2-on-1 with Kevin Fiala.
Sturm sent a pretty touch pass over to Fiala, who used his quick mitts to re-direct the puck past Darcy Kuemper for his 16th goal of the season, tying the game at a goal apiece.
