With 37 seconds left in overtime, Alex DeBrincat scored his 40th goal of the season, giving the Chicago Blackhawks a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday night.
DeBrincat Scores Final Minute of Overtime
The Blackhawks won for the second time in 12 games after squandering a 3-1 lead in the final 10:18 of regulation. Jake McCabe, Dominik Kubalik, and Alex Vlasic also scored for the Blackhawks, who won for the second time in 12 games after squandering a 3-1 lead in the final 10:18 of regulation.
Barrett Hayton, Nate Smith, and Anton Stralman scored for the Coyotes, who have now lost eight straight games and 15 of their last 17 overall. During this losing streak, Arizona has scored 13 goals and is currently ranked bottom in the league with 2.43 goals per game.
For the Blackhawks, who haven’t won in regulation since March 23, Kevin Lankinen made 32 saves.
Karel Vejmelka, the Coyotes’ rookie goaltender, made 34 saves in his 49th game, a franchise record for rookie goaltenders. He is the first rookie in NHL history to make at least 46 saves in four games.
Midway through the third period, Smith scored his first career goal, bringing the Coyotes within 3-2.
After a Chicago giveaway, Stralman tied the game at 13:23 of the third period, firing a wrist shot high on the stick side while the teams skated 4 on 4 after coincidental minor penalties at 12:15.
Arizona had won the previous two games in the season series and was seeking to become the first team to beat Chicago three times in a season since 2011-12.
McCabe scored 42 seconds into the game as he flipped in a rebound from the slot through traffic. McCabe started the play with a pass in front of the net from the right circle. Vejmelka got his stick on Jonathan Toews’ shot, but it landed in front of him.
At 15:32 of the first, Kubalic converted a rebound from point-blank range to make it 2-0. Tyler Johnson’s shot from the slot was blocked by Vejmelka, but the Coyotes failed to clear the ball, leaving Kubalic with an open net.
At 12:43 of the second period, Hayton’s rebound shot went through Lankinen’s pads, reducing the Blackhawks’ advantage to 2-1. Lankinen got caught on the wrong side of the net but came back to make a leaping glove save on Nick Schmaltz’s wraparound. After a review, the goal was upheld after the puck broke loose and Hayton scored.
At 16:25 of the second period, Vlasic made it 3-1 by scoring on a shot from the left circle that looked to carom off Schmaltz in the crease and into the net.
