GLENDALE, Ariz. _ After clawing up the standings during their best run of hockey this season, the Wild had finally built some much-needed breathing room in the Western Conference race.
A seven-game stretch against teams currently out of a playoff spot seemed like a chance to not only preserve that edge but possibly grow the team's cushion.
But based on how that reprieve started, with a 5-3 loss to the last-place Coyotes on Thursday at Gila River Arena to nix the Wild's season-high five-game win streak, this test against teams below them in the standings could be quite challenging.
The Coyotes were slow starters, getting dominated in the shot total through the first two periods. But as time wore on, the home squad discovered a rhythm and outplayed the Wild in the third _ scoring four goals to secure its second win over the team in the season series.
Arizona also rallied against the Wild for a 4-3 overtime win in Minnesota on Feb. 8.
After testing goalie Antti Raanta regularly in the first, the Wild didn't score until their last shot of the period.
During a delayed penalty, winger Zach Parise wired a wrist shot by Raanta at 15:36 after hopping onto the ice as the extra attacker for his first goal in eight games.
Not being able to squeeze more production out of the effort, especially on the heels of the eight-goal outburst Tuesday in the lopsided win over the Blues, proved costly for the Wild.
The Jason Zucker-Eric Staal-Mikael Granlund was clutch in that game, combining for an eye-popping 14 points. But the unit was silenced by the Coyotes.
Arizona, meanwhile, didn't register its first shot on goalie Alex Stalock until 4:08 remained in the period and finished the frame with only five. The Coyotes were barely better in the second, amassing just six, but they found the equalizer only five seconds into their first power play.
Defenseman Jakob Chychrun pounced on a loose puck after a faceoff draw and sent the puck past Stalock's glove with 2:32 to go in the second.
That galvanized the Coyotes, who had the Wild scrambling in their own zone before the period ended. And their momentum carried over to the third.
Just 4:32 into the period, center Christian Dvorak handed Arizona its first lead when he whacked a puck past Stalock from the top of the crease.
The advantage, however, was short-lived.
Captain Mikko Koivu tied it on the power play, with his shot in-tight sneaking by Raanta for Koivu's second goal in as many games. The Wild finished 1-for-4 with the man advantage, while the Coyotes were 1-for-2.
But Arizona answered right back on a one-timer from winger Richard Panik set up by defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson only 49 seconds after Koivu's tally to reinstate its lead, which grew to two goals on a shot from defenseman Kevin Connauton at 12:04. Winger Max Domi notched his third assist on the play.
The back-and-forth struggle continued, with center Matt Cullen pushing in a rebound only 1:09 after Connauton's goal.
But that's where the Wild's comeback bid ended; winger Jordan Martinook sent the puck into the Wild's empty net with 11 seconds to go, sealing a tough start to the Wild's brief two-game road trip that wraps up Friday against the Avalanche in Colorado.
Raanta pocketed 31 saves; Stalock had 21.
