From 4-0 down, the Arizona Coyotes rallied in the third period and came back to win 5-4 over the Colorado Avalanche in overtime.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Copying the first-two periods of the game in Denver this past Saturday, Arizona had chances early on, but the Avalanche looked like they ran away with it in the second period.
Jason Zucker and Josh Manson added some spice moments after puck-drop, jawing at each on the ice and in the penalty box.
Colorado would strike first as Nathan MacKinnon flew into the offensive zone, passed to Mikko Rantanen at the bottom of the right face-off circle and Rantanen sniped the puck over the left shoulder of Karel Vejmelka for a 1-0 Avs lead.
Up by one, the Avalanche came out in the middle frame advantageous, scoring three more goals courtesy of MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin and Logan O’Connor to widen their advantage to 4-0.
However, Lawson Crouse shrunk the margin to 4-1 with a tap-in past Alexandar Georgiev with 2:38 left in the second.
Crouse’s tally flipped a switch as Arizona presented urgency, exerted intensity and clawed their way back in the final period of regulation.
Zucker and Michael Kesselring would score 3:16 apart to give the Coyotes hope down 4-3.
From then on, the contest opened up with back-and-forth action down both ends of the ice.
Clayton Keller and Juuso Välimäki were just inches away from tying the game with two golden opportunities, but Georgiev denied both bids.
With an empty net, it was Sean Durzi who sent a wrist-shot into the net with 2:04 left.
Forcing overtime, Durzi would set up the game-winner.
The Coyotes kept the Avalanche on edge throughout the extra frame before Jack McBain batted the puck into the net and the crowd erupted at “The Mullett.”
Final Notes
Winning 5-4, Arizona are now 12-5 at home, 18-14-2 overall and are now tied for fourth place in the Central Division with the Nashville Predators holding 38 points.
Additionally, Durzi had a four-point night with a goal and three assists.
Even in the defeat, MacKinnon’s goal and assist extended his personal point-streak to 19-straight games.
As for MacKinnon’s team, Colorado remain in first in the division despite falling to 21-11-3.
Next Games
- Coyotes: Dec. 29 vs. Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.
- Avalanche: Dec. 29 vs. St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
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Alec Cipollini is a reporter of the Arizona Coyotes and Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account @AlecCipollini
