Pair of power play goals lift Coyotes past Blue Jackets 4-1

Published Feb. 3, 2015 10:14 p.m. ET

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Shane Doan scored power-play goals in the second period, and Mike Smith made 30 saves to lead the Arizona Coyotes to a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Lucas Lessio also had a goal, and Keith Yandle and Antoine Vermette each had two assists for the Coyotes, who completed a 3-3-2 road trip. Tobias Rieder added an empty-netter.

James Wisniewski scored for Columbus, which has lost three in a row. Anton Forsberg, starting his second NHL game in goal, made 25 saves.

The Coyotes, who came in second in the NHL on the power play and seventh overall, went 2 for 3 with the man advantage.

The Blue Jackets tied it at 1 in the opening minute of the second period with a man advantage before the Coyotes took control with two power-play goals of their own.

Wisniewski evened the score with a rocket from the point for his sixth.

Ekman-Larsson, who led all NHL defensemen with 14 goals coming in, scored his 15th on a wrister from the top of the right circle, with Doan supplying a screen in front of Forsberg.

Doan then made it 3-1. Arizona got the puck low and got several cracks at it from in close before Doan controlled the puck and whipped a backhander into the net.

The Coyotes got on the board first, thanks to some nice play by their fourth line.

Lessio dug the puck off the back wall and passed to B.J. Crombeen, with Forsberg blocking his shot from the left wing. The rebound popped free in the crease, and Brendan Shinnimin was initially credited with the goal. But Lessio got a stick on it from behind the cage to push it over the line.

NOTES: C Mark Letestu played in his 200th game with the Blue Jackets. ... Lessio has two goals in 11 NHL games since joining the Coyotes on Jan. 8. ... Columbus D Ryan Murray played his first home game since Oct. 31. He had missed 36 games with a knee injury. ... Arizona swept the season series, winning the only other meeting 6-3 on Jan. 3 at home as Martin Hanzal had a goal and three assists. ... Forsberg started to give Curtis McElhinney a break. The Blue Jackets also went with seven defensemen in their lineup.