Carcone Nets First Hat Trick as Coyotes Top Blackhawks

STATS

Now that was an emphatic response.

Michael Carcone recorded his first career hat trick, Jack McBain added two goals, and three other Coyotes scored as Arizona beat Chicago 8-1 at Mullett Arena on Monday. Connor Ingram made 29 saves to earn his second win this year as the Coyotes improved to 2-1-0 at home this season.

Connor Bedard scored and Arvid Soderblom made 15 saves for the Blackhawks, who lost for the third time in four games. Petr Mrazek made 10 saves after replacing Soderblom in the second period.

The statement game came after Arizona (4-4-0) lost to the Los Angeles Kings on Friday, in which a 4-1 lead ultimately turned into a 5-4 defeat. After a weekend of spirited practices, the Coyotes put their foot on the gas and never looked back in Monday's tilt against Chicago (3-6-0).

"You could see that game against L.A. left a few scars in the sense of the way we started, we were not as confident as we had been the previous few games," head coach André Tourigny said. "It was good to get opportunistic, and then from there getting a little bit of room to breathe and getting our game back."

Liam O’Brien, Josh Brown, and Sean Durzi also scored for the Coyotes, who had six players finish with multi-point games. Alex Kerfoot finished with three assists -- his first points with the Coyotes -- and 11 Arizona players recorded at least one point in the win.

McBain and Carcone finished with four points apiece, while McBain and O’Brien both recorded Gordie Howe Hat Tricks in the win. The latter accomplishment marked the first time two players in Coyotes/Jets history notched a Gordie Howe Hat Trick since Feb. 2, 1988, when Andrew McBain (Jack’s father) and Peter Taglianetti completed the feat with the then-Winnipeg Jets.

McBain's night came in his 100th career NHL game, all of which have been with the Coyotes after he was acquired from the Minnesota Wild as a prospect in March 2022.

"It's pretty special," McBain said. "Not everybody gets a chance to play in the league. I'll try to get a lot more, but don't take anything for granted, and it was a pretty special game tonight."

Things seemed to start well enough for Chicago, as Bedard got the Blackhawks off to a quick start by scoring just 28 seconds into the game. Carcone tied it up just under two minutes later, though, and from there, the proverbial flood gates opened.

Given the events that took place last Friday against the Kings, Carcone said the team knew it had to respond quickly and emphatically.

Mission accomplished.

"I think we all kind of woke up the next morning (after the loss to the Kings) knowing that can't happen. You can't collapse like that in the third," Carcone said. "We're a young team and we're learning as we go here. We didn't watch video, we just worked hard, and here we are.

"Great response, and I'm proud of the guys."

Brown gave Arizona a 2-1 lead at 13:53 of the first period, firing in a rebound from McBain’s initial shot. Carcone added a power-play goal just over two minutes later to pad the Coyotes’ lead, giving them a two-goal advantage heading into the first intermission.

The second period was much of the same, as Arizona scored four goals within a 10-minute span. Carcone completed his hat trick five minutes in, followed by goals from McBain, Durzi, and O’Brien.

Carcone now has four goals and two assists in seven games this season -- his first full campaign at the NHL level after spending parts of seven seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL). That made Monday's performance all the more sweeter for the 27-year-old forward.

"It's pretty crazy, I'm not going to lie," Carcone said. "I haven't fully gotten to digest it that much right now. It's been a while in the American League, obviously. I'm proud of myself, proud of my linemates, and on to the next one."

O'Brien, meanwhile, has made his mark on the team since joining in the 2021-22 season, becoming a dependable, responsible forward who personifies the gritty, hard-nosed identity Tourigny and his staff has fostered for over two seasons at this point.

The 29-year-old has played 132 NHL games -- 102 with Arizona -- and finished with a goal, an assist, and (of course) a fight on Monday.

"He means everything," Tourigny said of O'Brien. "You have a guy who will lay everything on the line every night, fight for his teammates, play inside the structure, and is really serious, really good pro."

McBain has taken on a similar role since his arrival in 2022, and chipped in two goals and two assists, again, in addition to the fight.

"Big, bad, Bainer," Tourigny said with a grin. "He did a really good job. He's big, he can skate, he can defend, he plays good on the [penalty kill] for us, he plays with intensity and heart every day.

"That's the kind of guy you want on your side."

Monday's game, though, was a true team effort, and McBain said he was proud of how the team responded after last Friday's challenging loss.

"We settled into the game nicely. There was no panic in our game," he said. "We were able to take over, so it was good."

The Coyotes are back in action on Wednesday against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm MST, and the game will be broadcast on the following networks:

WHERE TO WATCH:
• Antenna: 15.2 Phoenix, 9.2 Tucson, 15.2 Cottonwood/Prescott/Flagstaff/Lake Havasu/Kingman
• Streaming: N/A
• Phoenix Cable: Cox 95, Orbitel 200, Mediacom 107 (Pinal County)
• Tucson Cable: Cox 85, Xfinity 1179, Orbitel 208
• Flagstaff: American Cable channel 4
• Sedona: Optimum Cable channel 6
• Prescott: Cable One Prescott channel 61

WHERE TO LISTEN:
Radio: KTAR 92.3 FM
Streaming: Arizona Coyotes App, Arizona Sports App