Richardson’s goal in OT wins series

Brad Richardson scored on a rebound in overtime, Darcy Kuemper stopped 49 shots and the Coyotes advanced in the postseason for the first time in eight years with a 4-3 win over the Predators on Friday.

The Coyotes, the Western Conference’s No. 11 seed, took a 2-0 lead early in the second period. But they allowed the Predators to tie it before going ahead 3-2 on Jordan Oesterle’s goal early in the third.

The Predators pulled goalie Juuse Saros late in the period and Filip Forsberg tied it with 32 seconds left on a one-timer after Roman Josi kept the puck in Arizona’s zone.

Richardson won it after he redirected Vinnie Hinostroz’s shot and punched in the rebound past Saros to help the Coyotes win the Stanley Cup qualifier series 3-1.

Michael Grabner and Phil Kessel also scored for the Coyotes, which faces the Avalanche or the Golden Knights in the next round after advancing in the postseason for the first time since reaching the 2012 Western Conference finals. Viktor Arvidsson scored for the third straight game before taking a shot to the ribs and leaving late in the second period, leaving the Predators without one of its topline forwards.

Matt Duchene also scored and Saros stopped 30 shots for the Predators, who bowed out of the postseason as the West’s No. 6 seed.

The Coyotes took control of the series with a 4-1 win in Game 3 behind Kuemper’s 39 saves and three goals in the third period.

Predators outshot the Coyotes 11-1 to start, but Arizona scored first on Christian Dvorak’s redirect late the first period.

Game 4 played out the same way. The Predators had nine of the first 10 shots, including one by Ryan Ellis that clanged off the post. Kuemper made some spectaculars saves during the flurry — 16 in the period — and Grabner beat Saros to the glove side with a wrister from the right circle.

The Coyotes kept the momentum going early in the second period, scoring 98 seconds in when Kessel beat Saros under his stick blocker after the Predators goalie turned it over in his own end.

The Predators came back to life on a power play a few minutes later, when Duchene redirected a shot by Josi past Kuemper from just outside the crease.

Arvidsson tied it with his third goal of the series, one-timing a pass from Ellis to beat Kuemper from the left faceoff dot.

The Coyotes buzzed to start the third period and Oesterle put them up 3-2 on a shot from the right circle Saros couldn’t see through traffic. Kuemper withstood a flurry of shots in the final two minutes before Forsberg sent it to overtime from near the left faceoff dot.

Islanders move on: Anthony Beauvillier scored twice and the Islanders beat the Panthers 5-1 to clinch an NHL best-of-five preliminary round playoff series 3-1.

Kraken have a voice: The Kraken have hired Everett Fitzhugh as the club’s first broadcaster, the team announced Friday. Fitzhugh is believed to be the first Black team broadcaster hired by an NHL franchise.