Jack McBain scores in OT, Coyotes overcome 4-goal deficit to stun Avalanche 5-4
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Jack McBain scored with 20 seconds left in overtime and the Arizona Coyotes overcame a four-goal deficit to beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 on Wednesday night.
McBain scored on a scramble in front of the net to give Arizona its fifth victory in six games, with the only loss at Colorado on Saturday night.
“I just went to the net hard and got a piece of it on my stick,” McBain said. “It was a greasy one by I’ll take it. Obviously, it was an amazing comeback.
With goalie Karel Vejmelka off for an extra attacker, Sean Durzi tied it at 4 with a wrist shot from between the circles with 2:07 remaining in regulation. Durzi also had three assists.
“We played a really urgent game,” Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said. “When you play a world-class opponent like that, a Stanley Cup champion. We have a ton of respect for them, but we showed we could compete.”
The Coyotes, who trailed 4-1 after two periods, are 12-5 at 4,400-seat Mullett Arena. It was the fifth four-goal comeback in franchise history.
“I know guys keep saying it, but the atmosphere is good,” McBain said. “The fans hung with us even when we were down. It’s been fun to play in here.”
Lawson Crouse, Michael Kesselring and Jason Zucker also scored for Arizona, and Vejmelka made 20 saves. The Coyotes overcame a three-goal deficit in a 4-3 victory over Ottawa on Dec. 19.
“The game against Ottawa was the first really good comeback we had,” Tourigny said. “It gives you the hope. Now you know it can happen. It doesn’t mean it will happen, but if you stay with it and keep working, it can happen. That’s a good feeling.”
Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist for Colorado to extend his points streak to 19 games, one short of the franchise record set by Paul Stastny in 2006-07.
MacKinnon also has an NHL-high 27 points in December, a career high for a month, and is a point short of Stastny’s team record for points in a month.
Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist for Colorado, Jonathan Drouin and Logan O’Connor also scored and Alexandar Georgiev made 22 saves. The Avalanche are 0-3-3 in their last six road games.
“I love the way we played the first forty minutes,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “Third, we got lost in ‘D’ zone coverage a few times. They have a lot of movement and a lot of guys active in there. It’s not the volume, but when we had a breakdown in ‘D’ zone coverage it was in the back of the net.”
MacKinnon gave Colorado a 4-0 lead on a two-man advantage with 6:34 left in the second period.
Crouse scored with 3:29 left in the second on a wrist shot from the right circle. Kesselring cut it to two goals at 3:48 of the third, and Zucker made it 4-3 on a wraparound at 7:04.
“Obviously, at 4-nothing, it was frustrating because I felt we played well,” Tourigny said. “Then Crouser broke the ice, and from there I won’t say I thought we would win, but I thought it will be a game. It’s not over. When Kess scored, it’s 4-2. The worst lead in hockey is two goals.”
“There’s no quit in our group. They compete every day. That’s their DNA. That’s the way they play.”
UP NEXT
Avalanche: At St. Louis on Friday night.
Coyotes: At Anaheim on Friday night.
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