Sports

Minnesota rallies with 2 3rd period goals to beat Coyotes 3-1

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Minnesota Wild's Zach Parise (11) and Phoenix Coyotes' Zbynek Michalek, of the Czech Republic, collide behind the goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 29, 2014, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) (The Associated Press)

Phoenix Coyotes' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23), of Sweden, checks Minnesota Wild's Charlie Coyle (3) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 29, 2014, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) (The Associated Press)

Zach Parise scored two of Minnesota's three third-period goals and the Wild rallied to beat the Phoenix Coyotes 3-1 on Saturday night in a game with important playoff implications.

Phoenix nursed a 1-0 through two periods on Mikkel Boedker's early power-play goal, but the Coyotes went 24 minutes, 28 seconds without a shot.

Parise tied it from the top of the circle off a face off 8:03 into the final period, then came Jared Spurgeon's slap shot from the top of the right circle with 7:03 to play. Parise added an empty-net goal in the final minute.

The Wild pulled three points ahead of Phoenix for the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference. The Coyotes are just a point ahead of Dallas for the No. 8 spot.