National Hockey League
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Phoenix 5, Montreal 2
When: 9:00 PM ET, Thursday, March 6, 2014
Where: Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Arizona
Referees: Mike Hasenfratz, Dan O'Rourke
Linesmen: Lonnie Cameron, Bryan Pancich
Attendance: 15282


Coyotes 5, Canadiens 2: Radim Vrbata scored a pair of goals while captain Shane Doan and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson each added a tally and an assist as Phoenix completed a 2-1-0 homestand.

Lauri Korpikoski also scored for the Coyotes, who posted their first victory over Montreal since Dec. 9, 1998. Kyle Chipchura and Mike Ribeiro recorded two assists apiece and Mike Smith turned aside 24 shots.

Defenseman Andrei Markov registered a goal and an assist while Alex Galchenyuk also scored for the Canadiens, who fell to 1-2-0 on their four-game road trip. Blue-liner P.K. Subban notched a pair of assists and Peter Budaj finished with 18 saves.

Phoenix got on the board early as Vrbata tipped defenseman David Schlemko's shot from the left point past Budaj 2:08 into the contest. Montreal pulled even at 7:13, when Markov's blast from the top of the left faceoff circle went in off the right post, but Korpikoski put the Coyotes ahead for good by redirecting defenseman Michael Stone's slap shot from the blue line past Budaj during a power play at 15:04.

Ekman-Larsson doubled the lead with nine seconds remaining in the opening period, beating Budaj high to the glove side from the top of the slot. Galchenyuk tipped Subban's one-timer by Smith during a 5-on-3 advantage with 5:07 left in the second to get the Canadiens within one, but Vrbata and Doan scored less than two minutes apart midway through the third to put Phoenix in control.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Korpikoski's goal was his first since Jan. 11, ending his 18-game drought. ... Ekman-Larsson's tally was his 100th career point. ... The multi-goal performance was Vrbata's third of the season. ... Montreal LW Thomas Vanek registered one shot on goal and finished at minus-1 in his first game since being acquired from the New York Islanders on Wednesday.
Top Game Performances
 
Montreal   Phoenix
Andrei Markov 2 Points Radim Vrbata 2
Andrei Markov 1 Goals Radim Vrbata 2
P.K. Subban 2 Assists Kyle Chipchura 2
Alex Galchenyuk 1 Power Play Goals Shane Doan 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Peter Budaj .783 Save Percentage Mike Smith .923
Peter Budaj 18 Saves Mike Smith 24
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Montreal 26 2 1-5 1-3 6 24
Phoenix 23 5 2-3 4-5 10 25
Upcoming Games
  • Phoenix will play their next game on the road against Washington. The Coyotes have a W/L % of .414 after a win and .500 after a loss.
  • Montreal will play their next game on the road against San Jose. The Canadiens have a W/L % of .444 after a win and .655 after a loss.