GLENDALE, Ariz. — Boston had scored more than two goals in just two of its last 11 games, and it hadn’t scored a power play goal since Nov. 13. Like many teams, however, the Bruins got well in Arizona.
Left winger Brad Marchand scored two goals and the Bruins avoided a winless road trip (1-3) with a 5-2 victory over the Coyotes on Saturday night at Gila River Arena.
The loss was the seventh straight for Arizona (0-5-2) on home ice. That is the longest home losing streak in Jets/Coyotes history, eclipsing six-game skids in 2007 and 2009.
The Bruins opened the scoring the way many Coyotes opponents do — off a turnover. Arizona defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson tried to send a breakout pass up the left side, but Boston defenseman Dougie Hamilton intercepted it in the neutral zone, fed right winger Reilly Smith streaking toward the net and Smith found left winger Brad Marchand.
Marchand beat goalie Devan Dubnyk inside the near post before Dubnyk could get across the crease for a 1-0 lead just 58 seconds into the game.
Boston defenseman Kevan Miller extended the lead to 2-0 when he intercepted Dubnyk’s clearing attempt around the boards, collected his own rebound and slipped it between Dubnyk’s pads exactly five minutes after the first goal.
The Coyotes cut the lead in half after Boston left winger Daniel Paille narrowly missed making it 3-0 at the other end. Arizona right winger Shane Doan put center Joe Vitale in alone off a quick pass and Vitale ripped a perfectly placed shot over goalie Tuukka Rask’s right shoulder at 13:11 of the first period.
The goal broke a home scoreless stretch of 185 minutes and 34 seconds for Arizona.
Boston right winger Simon Gagne restored a two-goal lead when Paille’s shot rebounded off his leg and past Dubnyk at 8:34 of the second period.
Marchand added his second of the night on a two-on-one rush to make it 4-1 at the 14:47 and lead coach Dave Tippett to pull Dubnyk for Mike Smith, who was pulled in the team’s previous game.
Boston snapped an 0-for-19 run on the power play when right winger Loui Erikkson knocked in a rebound of center Patrice Bergeron’s shot with 30 seconds left in the second period to make it 5-1. The goal also marked the first time Boston had scored at least five goals in exactly a month (Nov. 6 vs. Edmonton).
Arizona right winger Mikkel Boedker scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season early in the third period.
Boedker’s goal snapped an 0-for-25 home skid on the power play for Arizona. Its previous home power play goal was defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s overtime winner against Florida on Oct. 25.