TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The official’s arm went up to signal a penalty, so the Pittsburgh Penguins pulled goalie Tristan Jarry for an extra attacker.
While circling back to set up a rush, Evgeni Malkin mishandled a pass from Kris Letang and the puck trickled across the goal line.
Long before that, Arizona’s Lawson Crouse took a puck off the head.
Crouse was credited with the bizarre goal in the third period, Connor Ingram stopped 25 shots and the Coyotes ended an 11-game losing streak to the Penguins with a 5-2 win on Monday night.
“He took it off his head and about three minutes later, ended up with a goal, so all good,” said Arizona’s Jason Zucker, who had a goal and an assist.
Leading 3-2, the Coyotes spoiled a power play with a hooking call on Zucker early in the third period. With Jarry off the ice, the Penguins hoped to tie the game with an extra attacker before the penalty started.
Disaster happened instead and the Coyotes rolled from there to end a losing streak to Pittsburgh that dated back to 2017.
Juuso Valimaki, Alex Kerfoot and Nick Bjugstad also scored for Arizona.
“I’ve only seen videos of it happen somewhere, but never been in the game,” Kerfoot said. “That was wild for sure.”
The gaffe marred Sidney Crosby’s 577th career goal, which tied him with Mark Recchi for 21st place on the NHL’s all-time goals list.
Lars Eller also scored and Jarry had 22 saves for the Penguins, who gave up a two-goal lead in a loss to Vegas Saturday night.
“It just seemed like when we did get some traction in the game, we get the second goal, for example, and we got some juice, but then we get one up a minute later,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “That’s demoralizing.”
The Coyotes jumped on Nashville with two goals by Clayton Keller in a 3-2 win Saturday night.
Arizona was sharp early against Pittsburgh.
Zucker scored 2 1/2 minutes in on a slick one-handed pass from Logan Cooley and Ingram stuffed Crosby on a breakaway midway through the first period.
The Penguins tied it early in the second period when a shot by Eller from the left circle trickled between Ingram’s pads.
Valimaki put Arizona back up midway through the period, taking a pass from Keller and beating Jarry over his stick shoulder from the slot.
Crosby tied it late in the period with No. 577, angling his stick to redirect a pass from Erik Karlsson and beat Ingram from a tough angle. Karlsson extended his points streak to nine games (one goal, nine assists).
Kerfoot scored 90 seconds later, jamming a puck past Jarry after it squirted out from behind the goal. Crouse scored on Malkin’s fumble and Bjugstad made it 5-2 with a charging wrister past Jarry’s glove.
“We played well, we got chances, but in the end there that goalie just played well,” Penguins left wing Jake Guentzel said. “Sometimes you’ve just got to tip your cap.”
UP NEXT
Penguins: Host Florida on Friday night.
Coyotes: At Florida on Wednesday night.
