One hallmark of the Arizona Coyotes season so far has been the team's ability to keep many of their games close, giving them a chance at a comeback.
Friday was not one of those could-go-either-way nights at Gila River Arena. The Minnesota Wild scored three first-period goals and skated around, past and through a porous Coyotes defense on their way to a 5-1 win in the first meeting of the season between the two West Division teams.
The Coyotes (10-10-3) had a chance to move into a tie with the Wild on standings points. But Minnesota (13-7-1) was able to take advantage of early defensive coverage errors.