Wild, Coyotes skate to 2-2 tie

ST. PAUL (AP) -- Ladislav Nagy scored a pair of goals for Phoenix and fellow Slovakian Marian Gaborik responded with two goals for Minnesota as the Coyotes and Wild played a 2-2 tie on Sunday.

With the deadlock, the Coyotes remain the league's hottest team with a 7-0-1-1 record since the NHL's two-week Olympic break.

Nagy scored on a rising shot from the top of the right circle that caught the upper right corner of the net midway through the third to give Phoenix a 2-1 lead. But Minnesota tied the game on a late power play when Gaborik's shot from the top of the right circle found the net.

The teams traded goals early in an evenly-played first period.

The Phoenix power-play unit struck first. Defenseman Paul Mara took the puck behind the Wild net, then fed a pass to Nagy at the top of the crease. Nagy got his 17th goal of the season when he flipped a high shot over Wild goaltender Manny Fernandez.

Phoenix 1 0 1 0 -- 2

Minnesota 1 0 1 0 -- 2

First Period--1, Phoenix, Nagy 17 (Mara, Langkow), 2:01 (pp). 2, Minnesota, Gaborik 26 (Brunette, Dowd), 8:27.

Second Period--None.

Third Period--3, Phoenix, Nagy 18 (Langkow), 9:30. 4, Minnesota, Gaborik 27 (Brunette, Dowd), 17:43 (pp).

Overtime--None.

Shots on goal--Phoenix 7-10-8-2--27. Minnesota 7-9-8-1--25.

Power-play Opportunities--Phoenix 1 of 3; Minnesota 1 of 6.

Goalies--Phoenix, Esche 6-8-2 (25 shots-23 saves). Minnesota, Fernandez 10-18-5 (27-25).

A--18,568 (18,064).

Referees--Stephen Walkom, Scott Zelkin. Linesmen--Darren Gibbs, Dan Schachte.