GLENDALE, Ariz. – Mikkel Boedker scored two of this three goals goal in the third period and added an assist, helping the Arizona Coyotes outlast the winless Edmonton Oilers 7-4 on Wednesday night.
Boedker scored in the first period and gave Arizona a two-goal lead midway through the third. He added an empty-net goal for his first career hat trick, giving him five goals in three games.
Connor Murphy, Kyle Chipchura, Rob Klinkhammer and Martin Erat also scored for the Coyotes, who had 13 players with at least one point.
Edmonton had another shaky defensive effort, dropping to 0-3-1 on the season.
Taylor Hall had two goals, and Marc Arcobello and Mark Fayne each scored for the Oliers, who have allowed 23 goals in four games.
The Coyotes needed nearly all their goals after a second straight shaky performance by Mike Smith.
Arizona’s No. 1 goalie said he felt uncomfortable in the season opener and it showed, giving up every goal in a 6-2 home loss to Winnipeg.
The Coyotes started back-up Devon Dubnyk on Saturday and he played well, stopping 24 shots in a 3-2 overtime win against the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. Smith spent his time off working on his comfort level in the crease, saying he felt better after a few days of work with goalie coach Sean Burke.
Smith was back between the pipes against Edmonton and gave up a goal on the third shot he faced. It was a tough chance, though; Hall scored on a one-timer from right outside the crease after the Coyotes had trouble clearing the zone and the puck ended up on Jordan Eberle’s stick.
Smith got a bit of a bad break on Edmonton’s second goal when a dump-in by Leon Draisaitl took a strange carom off the backboards right out front to Fayne, who punched it in for his first of the season.
Arcobello scored on a 3-on-1 early in the third period and Hall cut Arizona’s lead to 6-4 late in the period against Smith, who stopped 23 shots.
But four goals wasn’t nearly enough the way Edmonton’s defense has been playing.
Boedker scored his first goal on a power play in the first period, sneaking behind the Oilers after Smith started the play with his first assist of the season.
Chipchura put Arizona up 2-1 late in the period with a one-timer off a nice feed from Joe Vitale behind the goal.
In the second period, Murphy beat Ben Scrivens with a wrister from the top of the left circle, and Klinkhammer scored 1:07 later on a one-timer out front on a feed from behind by Erat.
Boedker put the Coyotes back up two goals midway through the third period, flipping a soft backhander that Scrivens blocked, but inadvertently knocked back into the goal with the inside of his left pad.
Boedker closed it out by practically skating the puck into the goal for his empty-netter.
Notes: Smith played his 165 career with the Coyotes, tying Brian Hayward for fifth on the franchise’s all-time list by a goalie. … Hall played his 250th career game. … Arizona has a 14-game points streak and is 16-2-3 under coach Dave Tippett against Edmonton. … Eberle returned after missing Tuesday night’s game with an undisclosed injury, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins did not.
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