TORONTO -- The Arizona Coyotes scored three unanswered goals in the third period to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 at Air Canada Centre on Thursday.
Arizona (17-25-6) ended a seven-game losing streak.
Toronto (22-24-4) has lost eight in a row and is 3-15-1 in its past 18 games.
Phil Kessel scored his 20th goal of the season at 16:33 of the first period to give the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead when he was sent in alone on a pass from James van Riemsdyk. Kessel's snap shot was partially stopped by Arizona goalie Mike Smith, but the puck trickled in for Kessel's first goal in eight games and his third in 19.
The Coyotes tied the game 1-1 on one of the strangest goals of the season. Toronto's Tyler Bozak pushed the puck ahead on the opening faceoff of the third period and it went to Arizona defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. With the Coyotes shorthanded, Ekman-Larsson lofted the puck down the ice from his blue line and the shot caught Bernier napping, going into the bottom corner of the net at 5 seconds.
The Coyotes took a 2-1 lead at 3:47 when Martin Hanzal slipped a low shot from a sharp angle past Bernier. It was Hanzal's eighth goal of the season.
With Toronto right wing David Clarkson off for roughing, Arizona center Sam Gagner scored his eighth of the season at 16:30.
Forward Joffrey Lupul returned to the Maple Leafs lineup after missing 11 games with a lower-body injury. The Maple Leafs were 1-9-1 without him.
Lupul, who usually plays left wing, played on the right side against the Coyotes. He missed 12 games earlier in the season with a broken bone in his hand.
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