(Tempe) Mike Hoffman flashed the red light 1:08 into overtime and saved the Canadian from a fourth straight loss.
The Montreal team, which was playing its first game of its traditional holiday trip, won 3-2 in overtime on Monday at the expense of the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena.
Despite having been outrageously dominated in terms of shots on goal – 39 against 26 – the opportunism of the Canadian and the brilliance of Samuel Montembault were enough to win.
In the win, Cole Caufield scored his 19e goal of the season. Christian Dvorak also hit the target in regulation time.
Montembault stopped 37 shots, including several quality shots to keep his team in the game.
Nick Schmaltz and Matias Maccelli provided the response for the hosts as Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves.
The Canadiens return to action on Wednesday when they visit the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.
Forward Anthony Richard, top scorer in the American Hockey League, was playing his first game in a Canadiens uniform and his third in the NHL.
Earlier in the day, the Habs announced that defenseman Mike Matheson will not be making the trip. Given a lower body injury, he remained in Montreal for medical follow-up and will be absent for an indefinite period.
Chris Wideman made up for his absence in training.
blow for blow
Near the end of a first-period power play, a powerful one-timer from Nick Suzuki hit Dvorak’s helmet. The latter retired for the locker room, but ended the meeting.
Montembault, who stood up to several chances during the first engagement, recovered after a hazardous discount a few seconds to go in the period by stopping Lawson Crouse at close range. He stopped 16 shots in the first period.
The two clubs came out of the locker room more enterprising for the second twenty.
After Kaiden Ghule stunned the Coyotes defense, Josh Anderson sent his young defenseman’s handover to Caufield, who was given all the time in the world to beat Vejmelka with an accurate shot. This goal came after 49 seconds of play.
Just 35 seconds later, Clayton Keller took the puck from Juraj Slafkovsky in the neutral zone and fed Schmaltz who beat Montembault with a shot into the top of the net.
Dvorak then restored the lead to the Canadian at 4:27 with a deflection of a wrist shot from the point of Arber Xhekaj.
The Coyotes immediately responded again. Moments after Richard came close to scoring his first NHL goal, a long pass from Jacob Chychrun — redirected by Crouse — sent Maccelli on a breakaway and he didn’t miss his chance.
Both teams had good chances in the third period: Shayne Gostisbehere hit the crossbar as Caufield was frustrated in a two-on-one run with Kirby Dach, but it wasn’t enough to decide the tie the opponents.
Hoffman then settled the dispute with a wrist shot that beat the Coyotes jailer to the glove side.