Alex Galchenyuk scored 1:54 into overtime to lead the visiting Arizona Coyotes past the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Thursday.
Galchenyuk scored on a fake wraparound as he went one way behind the net and backtracked and tucked the puck in. He also had an assist as the Coyotes posted their fifth win in the past seven games.
Galchenyuk capped Arizona's comeback from a 1-0 deficit that had extended from the midway mark of the first period to the same point in the third.
The Canucks lost for the fourth time in their past five outings.
Jakob Chychrun and Lawson Crouse also scored for the Coyotes, who moved a point ahead of Vancouver in the Western Conference wild-card race. Arizona trails the Minnesota Wild by one point for the conference's final playoff position.
Bo Horvat and Adam Gaudette tallied for the Canucks. Antoine Roussel assisted on both goals.
Arizona goaltender Darcy Kuemper saved 30 of 32 shots for the win. Vancouver netminder Jacob Markstrom stopped 35 of 38.
Both teams were battling several injuries, and as a result, goals were hard to come by until the third period.
Horvat opened the scoring at 9:47 of the first period as he put in a short backhand pass from Roussel. Markus Granlund started the play by making a nifty pass through his legs to Roussel while pressed against the side boards.
Chychrun put the Coyotes on the scoreboard midway through the third period as his shot deflected off the stick of Vancouver center Jay Beagle. The goal, Chychrun's first in 19 games, came while defenseman Derrick Pouliot was off for hooking former Canuck Brad Richardson.
The goal was a reward for Arizona's hard work after coming out strong and dominating the first 10 minutes of the final frame.
Crouse gave the Coyotes a 2-1 lead as he put in a Josh Archibald pass from behind the net at 15:45, but Gaudette evened the score again at 16:57 as he wired a shot over Kuemper's glove.
The Coyotes outshot the Canucks 20-5 in the third period.
Forward Ryan Spooner made his debut for the Canucks after being acquired in a weekend trade from Edmonton for forward Sam Gagner, who had spent most of the season on loan with Toronto's AHL affiliate but is now with the Oilers.
Defenseman Ashton Sautner made his NHL season debut for Vancouver after being called up from Utica of the AHL.
--Field Level Media
Arizona | Vancouver | |
Alex Galchenyuk 2 | Points | Antoine Roussel 2 |
Alex Galchenyuk 1 | Goals | Adam Gaudette 1 |
Alex Galchenyuk 1 | Assists | Antoine Roussel 2 |
Jakob Chychrun 1 | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Darcy Kuemper .938 | Save Percentage | Jacob Markstrom .921 |
Darcy Kuemper 30 | Saves | Jacob Markstrom 35 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Arizona | 38 | 3 | 1-2 | 3-3 | 6 | 30 |
Vancouver | 32 | 2 | 0-3 | 1-2 | 4 | 33 |