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OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Ottawa Senators defenseman Marc Methot didn't have a very auspicious start to Saturday's game against the Arizona Coyotes. By the end, it had all turned out well for him and his teammates.
Methot had three assists while Mark Stone, Mika Zibanejad, Bobby Ryan and Erik Karlsson each had a goal and an assist apiece as the Senators routed Arizona 7-2.
The first goal of the game went in the Ottawa net off Methot's glove just 40 seconds into the first period. Arizona's Zybnek Michalek received credit for the goal.
"I just tried corralling the puck more. From experience I know that when you try to flatly hit it right out of the air, you can break your hand. I just tried to corral it and I misplayed it. That's why I'm not a goaltender, I guess," said Methot, who tied a career high with his three points in a game.
"It's not every night I get three points. It's lucky more than anything else and I'm just happy we got the win after that fluky first goal."
It was 1-all before Ottawa scored four times in 5½ minutes. Milan Michalek broke the tie with 3:09 left in the second period and Stone made it 3-1.
Ryan's shot from the top of the crease beat Arizona goaltender Mike Smith at 1:57 of the third period. Jean Gabriel Pageau scored 20 seconds later, finishing Smith after just 20 shots.
Mike Hoffman also scored for the Senators while Robin Lehner turned aside 35 shots for his first win since Dec. 13.
Zybnek Michalek and Sam Gagne scored for the Coyotes. Louis Domingue came on in relief of Smith and made eight saves on 10 shots as the Coyotes lost for the eighth time in nine games.
"Where we are with some key veterans out and playing some young players, the bottom line is your goaltender has to be good for you and ours wasn't good," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said.
"We gave up to many chances and once you get behind you start chasing the game and you look like an ugly team and that's exactly what happened," he said.
This was the first time in more than 30 years that two unrelated sets of brothers faced each other in an NHL game, with Ottawa's Milan Michalek and Mark Stone playing against the Coyotes' Zbynek Michalek and Michael Stone. The last time was Dec. 23, 1983, when Wayne Babych and Joe Mullen played for St. Louis against Winnipeg's Dave Babych and Brian Mullen.
Zbynek Michalek scored 40 seconds into the game to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead. Hoffman tied it 29 seconds later.
The Coyotes took eight shots in the opening five minutes of the second period but were unable to beat Lehner, who made some big stops to keep the game tied.
NOTES: The Senators are off until Tuesday when they play at New Jersey. ... The Coyotes will be in Montreal on Super Bowl Sunday. ... Patrick Wiercioch, Eric Gryba and Alex Chiasson were scratches for the Senators. Martin Hanzel, Joe Vitale and Chris Summers were scratches for the Coyotes.
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