(Tempe) After competing with the Vegas Golden Knights, leaders in the NHL standings, at the start of the week, the Montreal Canadiens offered a much less inspired performance against the Arizona Coyotes, losing a first game in time regulation in four exits.
Nick Schmaltz scored a double and Connor Ingram stopped 30 pucks in a 3-2 victory for the Coyotes on Thursday.
“It was the opposite of the last game. We didn’t play a good match. We weren’t there, said Canadian head coach Martin St-Louis straight away after the game.
“It could be lots of reasons. I wouldn’t put it down to the age of the team. We weren’t there this evening. »
PHOTO MATT KARTOZIAN, USA TODAY SPORTS VIA REUTERS CON
Canadian head coach Martin St-Louis
The Canadian, however, responded blow for blow to the first two goals of the local favorites, but was unable to do so a third time when Schmaltz scored the winning net at 6:07 of the third period taking advantage of a clever relay by Logan Cooley.
Despite a few chances later, the Canadian received two penalties in the second part of the third. A situation which did not help him in his attempt to come back.
“We had a few late penalties,” admitted captain Nick Suzuki, whose goal was canceled after video review due to an offside. It didn’t give us the chance to play five against five. »
Schmaltz had previously opened the scoring by taking advantage of a penalty shot in the first period. Canadian defenseman Justin Barron created the opportunity when he got his hands on the puck in Jake Allen’s semi-circle.
PHOTO MATT KARTOZIAN, USA TODAY SPORTS
Nick Schmaltz (8) beat Jake Allen (34) on a penalty shot.
It was a third penalty shot awarded to the Canadian’s opponents in his last three games.
Sean Monahan then brought the two teams back to equal footing with his first tied goal this season.
He scored in a fourth straight game, he who has six goals, including three on the power play and two on the penalty kill, in 10 outings this season.
The Coyotes took the lead a few seconds after the end of their first power play of the game. A pass from Matias Maccelli crossed the slot to find Lawson Crouse on the other side of the slot.
Crouse had no trouble beating Allen with just 39 seconds left in the second.
As he did in the first, the Habs responded thanks to Brendan Gallagher, on the power play. With also an assist on Monahan’s goal, Gallagher reached the plateau of 400 career points.
“Those are probably things you’re proud of when you retire, but now you’re happy to contribute, but you want to win,” Gallagher said.
PHOTO ROSS D. FRANKLIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jesse Ylönen returns to the Canadian bench after a Coyotes goal.
Allen made 33 saves in front of the Canadian’s cage, suffering his first defeat in regulation time in five starts this season.
Quebecer Rafaël Harvey-Pinard fell hard near the boards at the end of the first period, skipping a few shifts before the first intermission. The forward was back on the ice in the second, but he writhed in pain after taking a hit in his first appearance.
He retired to the locker room and did not return to the game afterward. The Canadian announced that he was suffering from a lower body injury.
It was a first clash between Cooley, drafted third overall in 2022, and Juraj Slafkovsky, whom the Canadian preferred to first overall.
Cooley is off to an excellent start to his career, having totaled eight points (one goal, seven assists) in his first 10 NHL games. The Slovakian was shut out in this match, having only obtained one assist this season.
Forward Jesse Ylonen was back in the lineup after being left out of the previous two games. He replaced Michael Pezzetta in the lineup.
The Canadian will finish a three-game trip out West on Saturday in St. Louis. He will then return to Montreal for the visit of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.