Mike Hoffman scored at 1:08 of overtime and the Montreal Canadiens ended a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night in Tempe, Ariz.
On the winning play, Montreal entered the offensive zone on a three-on-two, and Kirby Dach fed the puck to Hoffman, who fired in the winner from between the circles.
Cole Caufield and Christian Dvorak also scored and Sam Montembeault made 37 saves for the Canadiens in the opener of a seven-game road trip.
Nick Schmaltz and Matias Maccelli scored and Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves for the Coyotes, who lost their second game in a row, both at home.
The Canadiens scored 49 seconds into the second period during a delayed penalty to take a 1-0 lead. The puck caromed to Caufield and he scored his 19th goal of the season on a wrist shot from the inside edge of the right circle.
The Coyotes tied the score 35 seconds later after Montreal turned the puck over in the neutral zone, leading to an Arizona rush. Clayton Keller slid a backhand centering pass to Schmaltz, who stopped the puck with his backhand and scored with his forehand to make it 1-1.
Montreal defenseman Arber Xhekaj took a wrist shot from the left point and Dvorak deflected the puck into the net for a 2-1 lead at 4:27 of the second.
Dvorak, who spent his first five NHL seasons with the Coyotes, briefly left the game in the first period after getting hit in the side of the head with the puck.
Arizona tied the game again after Maccelli drove down the right side with speed and scored from in close to make it 2-2 at 7:23 of the second.
Montembeault made his best save of the scoreless first period on a shot from in close by Lawson Crouse with 42 seconds left.
Arizona outshot Montreal 17-5 in the opening period.
The Coyotes had 33 shots on goal through two periods, which surpassed the team’s previous season high for a full game (32).
–Field Level Media