Hurricanes shut out Coyotes 3-0 as Mrazek makes 32 saves

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Petr Mrazek stopped 32 shots for his third shutout of the season, and Lucas Wallmark and Martin Necas scored within 63 seconds of each other near the end of the second period to help the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Arizona Coyotes 3-0 on Friday night.

It was the second straight night the Coyotes were shut out after they lost 4-0 at Tampa Bay on Thursday.

The Hurricanes were leading 1-0 when Wallmark’s tip of Dougie Hamilton’s shot went off Antti Raanta’s glove and head before landing in the goal 1:13 before the second intermission.

Necas increased the lead to 3-0 when he curled behind the net and lifted a backhander into the goal with 9.6 seconds remaining in the period.

Warren Foegele also scored for the Hurricanes, who won their second in a row and improved to 4-2-0 on their seven-game homestand.

Raanta, who had been 3-0-0 in his last three decisions, gave up three goals on 28 shots before he was replaced for the third period by Adin Hill, who faced just one shot over the final 20 minutes.

Arizona averaged 4.5 goals per game over four straight wins from Dec. 31 through Jan. 7, but failed to score for the second game in a row as Mrazek was sharp and the Hurricanes’ penalty-killing unit was effective. Arizona was 0 for 3 on the power play.

Mrazek’s best save came on a backhander by Lawson Crouse early in the third period after Crouse got behind Carolina’s defense for a short-handed scoring opportunity.

Foegele scored 14:20 into the first period after Andrei Svechnikov dug the puck out of the corner and fired a perfect pass into the slot in front of Raanta.

NOTES: Forward Justin Williams, who signed a one-year contract Tuesday to join the Hurricanes for his 19th NHL season, was a healthy scratch. The timetable for his entry into the lineup is uncertain. … Arizona’s consecutive road losses were an anomaly for the team this season. Before the defeats at Tampa Bay and Carolina, the Coyotes had been 12-4-2 in their last 18 games away from home. … Wallmark, the Hurricanes’ fourth-line center, has six goals in his last 11 games after scoring just four times in his first 33 games.

UP NEXT

Coyotes: play host to Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Hurricanes: meet Los Angeles on Saturday in the final game of a seven-game homestand.