TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Coyotes didn’t score on the overtime power play that Nick Bjugstad created, but he was credited with the game-winner just seconds after it ended.
Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar appeared to accidentally put the puck in his own net, as it slipped between goalie Alexandar Georgiev’s legs during a scramble just as the 4-on-3 power play expired, and the Coyotes prevailed 4-3 at Mullett Arena.
Bjugstad made a strong move to the net and Georgiev made the initial save. When Makar tried to sweep the loose puck out of danger, Bjugstad’s stick made contact with his and the end result was a Coyotes victory.
“I was just trying to take a shot away,” Makar said. “It’s unfortunate. I think he pushed my stick, or it just hit my stick and popped through. Just really unlucky and unfortunate.”
The Coyotes had a power play in the extra session because Bjugstad got behind Bowen Byram, and the defenseman slashed him to prevent a mini-breakaway scoring chance.
Another positive night from the power play helped the Avalanche get to overtime for the second time this season after falling behind early in the third period.
The Avs had scored in eight straight games on the power play coming into this contest, but Colorado had struck more than once with the man advantage only twice this season. Nathan MacKinnon made it three times with a one-time blast at 11:04 of the third period to tie this game at 3-3.
“That power play in particular was our best of the night,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “It was the hardest-working power play we had. The firmness in our passes, the puck movement, identifying the open man … there’s a lot that I liked on that. I want our power play on a regular basis to look like that.”
After a slow start to the season, the Avs’ power play is now 11 for 40 (27.5%) in the past nine games. This was also the ninth-straight game that Colorado has won the special teams battle, a streak that began after the Avs allowed four special-teams goals (two power play, two shorthanded) in an 8-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Given how consistently strong the Avalanche has been at even strength over the past several seasons, opposing teams know that not outscoring the Avs on special teams is going to significantly reduce their chances.
Makar continued his torrid month offensively with a power-play goal to open the scoring. Makar’s shot from the top of the offensive zone with Valeri Nichushkin providing a screen has become a go-to weapon for the Avalanche with the extra man this season, and he did it again with 29 seconds left in the opening period.
The goal was Makar’s seventh tally of the season. He finished November with four goals and 24 points. The 20 assists are the most by a defenseman in the month of November in league history.
Travis Boyd leveled the score 3:03 into the second period, though Georgiev did not like the events that occurred in front of him just before the puck went past him. Liam O’Brien skated in front of the goalie and knocked Avs defenseman Devon Toews into him.
Just as Georgiev was getting squared up to the puck again, Boyd shot one that appeared to hit something in front of the goaltender. He slammed his stick on the ice a couple of times after the scoreboard replay, but the Avs’ coaching staff declined to challenge for goalie interference.
Miles Wood got behind the Coyotes defense to give the Avs another lead less than two minutes later. Caleb Jones chipped the puck along the right wall in the Arizona end, and after Wood corralled it he took a direct route to the net. Wood was able to wrap his shot around Coyotes goalie Connor Ingram for his fourth goal of the season at 4:44 of the period.
The Avs did allow an Arizona power-play goal late in the second period. It came 11 seconds after Jones went to the box, with Nick Schmaltz finding a soft spot in the middle of the Colorado defense for a one-timer. The Avalanche penalty kill was 27 of 29 since the St. Louis debacle before this contest.
Michael Carcone gave the Coyotes their first lead of the night 68 seconds into the third period. He skated out from behind the Avalanche net for a wraparound try and was able to tuck it past Georgiev inside the far post.
“I feel like we played a really good third (period) and we battled back,” Makar said. “It’s hard to go (on the PK) in OT. Four-on-threes are hard. We weathered it for most of it and unfortunately that’s just sometimes how the way it goes with unlucky bounces.”
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