Rookie Prosvetov stops 39 shots, Coyotes beat Predators 4-1

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Rookie Ivan Prosvetov stopped 39 shots, Brett Ritchie scored in his Arizona debut and the Coyotes beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Thursday night.

The Coyotes recalled Prosvetov from Tucson of the AHL before the game to play in his seventh NHL game, first this season. The Russian rookie had been solid for the Roadrunners, going 16-13-4 with a 3.06 goals-against average in 35 games.

Prosvetov was superb against Nashville, turning away 39 shots before Cody Glass scored with two minutes left in the third period.

Ritchie scored in the first period of his first game since being traded from Calgary on Friday. Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain scored 49 seconds apart in the third period, and Nick Schmaltz added an empty-net goal to improve the Coyotes’ record at Mullett Arena to 16-11-3.

Juuse Saros had 39 saves, but the went Predators 0 for 6 on the power play and had too many defensive breakdowns in the third period.

Coming off a six-goal game against St. Louis, the Coyotes jumped on the Predators early, peppering Saros with 18 first-period shots.

Ritchie was part of NHL history on Friday, when he was traded from Calgary in a deal that sent his brother to the Flames. Nick Ritchie scored in his Calgary debut on Monday, but Brett’s arrival in Arizona was held up by visa issues.

Brett Ritchie had an immediate impact on his new team, redirecting J.J. Moser’s shot from the blue line past Saros midway through the first period.

Both goalies were sharp in the second period as the open-ice opportunities became fewer.

Prosvetov made consecutive difficult saves on a rush late in the period, springing back to his feet just in time to punch away a shot by Kiefer Sherwood after being clipped by Nashville’s Ryan McDonagh.

Hayton finally got a shot past Saros, taking two whacks at a rebound on a power play midway through the third period. McBain scored right after that on another rebound.

NOTES: The Coyotes assigned F Jean-Sebastien Dea to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. … Predators F Filip Forsberg missed his 12th straight game with an upper-body injury. … Arizona’s Liam O’Brien and Nashville’s Michael McCarron each received five-minute fighting penalties for a short dust-up late in the second period.

UP NEXT

Predators: Plays at the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Coyotes: Plays at Colorado on Saturday.

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