Coyotes’ penalty kill gain momentum in 10-game stretch with win over Canadiens

When it comes to Thursday’s game, officiating had a significant impact, regardless of the Arizona Coyotes and Montréal Canadiens’ opinions. The match was full of ups and downs, with the Coyotes ultimately securing a 3-2 victory at Mullett Arena. One of Nick Schmaltz’s two goals came from a penalty shot in the first period, and he later scored the game-winning goal on a power play in the third period.

Now that the Coyotes (5-4-1) have reached the 10-game mark, the players have a better understanding of how the season has started. The players couldn’t forget the bitter 4-3 overtime loss in Anaheim the previous night, which almost soured the opening stretch.

“I believe we’re playing exceptional hockey. We’re a force to be reckoned with when it comes to five-on-five play. Our offensive output is impressive, and we defend extremely well. Additionally, our power play has been performing exceptionally,” said forward Lawson Crouse. “We should have accumulated more points in the standings by now. We feel like we’ve let some teams off the hook, especially in the past week, so that was a major focus for us today.”

The Coyotes’ Beneficial Calls

The Coyotes received their first goal due to a referee’s decision and were later helped when an overturned call disallowed a Canadiens goal in the first period.

In the last two games, the top line struggled to produce, but they caught a break when Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron covered the puck with his glove in the crease. This led to a penalty shot for Schmaltz at 6:17.

Despite a few defensive breakdowns towards the end of the period, the Canadiens scored to take a 2-1 lead at 15:32. However, head coach André Tourigny challenged the call, and it was overturned due to an offside violation.

Penalty Kill Shines on Special Teams

Early in the game, the Coyotes’ penalty kill was put to the test with three consecutive power plays from the Canadiens in the first two periods.

The Coyotes’ penalty kill success rate sits at 72.2%, ranking 28th in the league. However, it was a step in the right direction as they successfully shut down four out of five power plays from the Canadiens.

“We remained composed and under control. We pushed through and overcame adversity against an impressive team,” said Tourigny. “Our penalty kill was solid tonight, allowing us to gain momentum.”

After enduring three penalty kills, the Coyotes finally earned a power play opportunity towards the end of the second period. Although they didn’t capitalize on the man advantage, it set up Matias Maccelli to make a slick seam pass to Lawson Crouse, who scored to give the Coyotes a 2-1 lead at 19:21. Crouse has netted three goals in the last two games.

Controversial Call in the Third Period

In the beginning of the third period, Clayton Keller was called for roughing after colliding with Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson. The call caused frustration and undergo a review for a potential major penalty.

Keller’s penalty put the Coyotes on the penalty kill and proved costly when Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher scored on the power play to tie the game 2-2 at 2:59.

The Coyotes eventually responded on special teams when Arber Xhekaj received a cross-checking penalty, allowing the power play unit to take the ice. Logan Cooley then delivered a perfectly timed pass to Schmaltz, who scored the game-winning goal on the rush.

This article was originally published on Arizona Republic: Coyotes beat Canadiens, gain momentum after 10-game stretch