In Tempe, Nick Schmaltz hit for his second goal of the night at +:07 of the third period to snap a 2-2 tie and send the Coyotes to a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.
Schmaltz opened the scoring off a penalty shot in the first period to stake Arizona to an early 1-0 lead.
“I’ve never taken a penalty shot,” Schmaltz said. “It’s pretty cool. I have two or three moves I rotate [in shootouts] and I try to read the goalie, he got a piece of it but I was fortunate and it went in.”
Connor Ingram made 28 saves in the win.
“We stayed under control, we were composed, we pushed through [playing on consecutive nights],” Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. “We found a way to make key plays, our special teams made key plays and our penalty kill was solid.”
The Coyotes improved to 5-4-1.
“As a team, we need to find a way to win these close, one-goal games,” Schmaltz said. “You want to be the guy who steps up and makes the play that matters.”
Sean Monahan scored in the first period at 7:13.
“Our execution was off in the first period, in the second period and I think we played probably 20 percent of what we played in Vegas (3-2 overtime loss Monday),” said the Habs’ Nick Suzuki, the Montreal captain. I think we need to find a way to have a better start. Our power play couldn’t get one early and it was just kind of a scramble.”
Just ahead of the midway point of the second period, Lawson Crouse put the Coyotes back in front, 2-1.
“That line (Matias Maccelli-Nick Bjugstad-Crouse) is playing with more drive, more juice, more passion, more edge and their game has more grit. I think that’s what separates them,” Tourigny said.
Montreal tied it up, 2-2, with three minutes gone in the third on a power play strike by Brendan Gallagher .
Jake Allen made 32 saves in the loss.
“In the second period they showed us what they had, they dominated, they have a lot of speed and skill, but we still had an opportunity in this game,” Allen said. “We just weren’t as sharp tonight.”
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