Although they're one of the NHL's best defensive teams late in games, the Minnesota Wild stumbled in crunch time during their road swing.
That could be a concern back home against an Arizona Coyotes team that has produced third-period goals in each of its past three games.
As Zach Parise looks to continue his strong play versus Arizona, the Wild are focused on putting together a complete 60-minute performance and avoid their longest home losing streak in nearly three years Monday night.
Minnesota ranks among the league's leaders with only 34 third-period goals allowed, but it surrendered five in the final 20 minutes of its three losses on a four-game trip. The only time the Wild did not give up a late score was in their only victory, 3-0 over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
Jarret Stoll came through with a third-period goal to even things up Saturday before the Wild (23-17-8) allowed Joe Pavelski's go-ahead tally with less than two minutes left in a 4-3 loss to San Jose. They've given up a winning goal with under seven minutes remaining in two of the past three games.
"That's not typical of us, too," coach Mike Yeo told the team's official website. "We have to find ways at those times. We know what we're capable of."
That could be easier said than done against the Coyotes, who have scored 36 goals in the first period, 39 in the second and 47 in the third. Mikkel Boedker and Shane Doan lead the team with five third-period goals apiece.
Arizona, though, hadn't scored the first goal of the game since Jan. 14 before Doan's team-high 17th goal put the club ahead Saturday. He later added an assist on Jordan Martinook's go-ahead tally in the third of a 3-2 win over the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Kings that ended a four-game slide.
Doan has recorded an assist in each of the last three games for the Coyotes, who ended an otherwise disappointing homestand on a positive note.
"It was big for us to stop what was going in the wrong direction," the captain said. "We finished the homestand 3-3-1, so it was a big (win) for us."
Arizona opens a two-game trip looking to build on that offensive performance after it had totaled two goals over its previous three. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson had a second-period power-play goal Saturday, leaving the team 9 for 20 with a man advantage in its last six victories.
The Coyotes have gone 1 for 12 in those situations over their last five losses, while Minnesota has killed 21 of 24 penalties over its past 12 contests.
Playing for the only time at home during an eight-game stretch, Minnesota will try to avoid losing five straight there for the first time since April 2013.
Parise finished with a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win at Arizona on Oct. 15 before Boedker came through with an overtime score in the Coyotes' 2-1 home win Dec. 11 that snapped a six-game losing streak in this series.
Parise has been a difficult matchup for Arizona (23-19-5), totaling nine goals over a 13-game point streak dating to his time with New Jersey.
The Wild have gone 8-1-1 over the last 10 meetings with the Coyotes, who seek their first three-game road winning streak since February.
