It was billed as a battle between the two prospective frontrunners for the Calder Trophy.
Instead, Monday’s game between the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks at Mullett Arena ended up becoming a showcase for none other than 27-year-old winger Michael Carcone, who had all of 11 points in 36 career NHL games heading in.
Sure, Connor Bedard and Logan Cooley factored into the game’s first two goals, with the Blackhawks rookie opening the scoring 28 seconds in before Cooley set up Carcone for the equalizer a mere 1:55 later.
From there, it turned into the Carcone show. The journeyman forward scored three goals in the first 25 minutes of the game and added an assist midway through the second period in what ultimately went into the books as an 8–1 win for the hosts.
Carcone, who is both slightly too old and slightly too experienced to be eligible for Calder consideration, finished the game one fight shy of joining his teammates Liam O’Brien and Jack McBain with a Gordie Howe Hat Trick.
Standing 5’9″ and weighing in at 170 pounds, Carcone isn’t exactly a heavyweight. His best physical match on the Blackhawks might actually be the 5’10” Bedard.
“It might’ve been talked about,” Carcone said with a laugh. “We were saying we could’ve had a couple more. It’s obviously pretty special when you’re even close to doing that.
The prospect of dropping the gloves likely wasn’t on Carcone’s radar entering the game against Chicago, but he and his teammates wanted to show some more fight after blowing a 4–1 lead and losing 5–4 in regulation on home ice against the L.A. Kings on Friday.
“I think we all kind of woke up the next morning knowing that can’t happen,” he said. “You can’t collapse like that in the third. 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.”
Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny elected not to get too technical with his team during their morning practice the day after the collapse against L.A.
If anything, he made it less complicated — he took away the nets.
“There were pucks, but I will say this: I said it’s a first in the NHL, a practice with pucks but no goals,” Tourigny said wryly after Monday’s win. “The goalies were perfect because there was not one shot on net during that practice.”
“Simple and hard. Sometimes, that’s what you need,” Carcone said. “I think we got the message loud and clear.”
The Coyotes got plenty of practice filling their opponent’s net with pucks in their 8–1 shellacking of the Blackhawks. Carcone scored three, McBain added two and O’Brien, Josh Brown, and Sean Durzi each potted one.
The only Coyotes forwards not to record a point on Monday were Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz. Those three players make up the team’s top line.
On any other night, the No. 1 trio going quiet might be cause for concern. Not so on Monday. Even with sniper Jason Zucker injured, the Coyotes proved they can score in bunches even when their big guns don’t fire.
Carcone led the way. Now a member of his fifth different organization, the 2022 AHL All-Star is well on his way toward establishing himself as a bona fide NHL regular.
If he keeps performing as well as he did on Monday (or even close to it), Carcone might maintain his current position in the lineup once Zucker returns. He finished the game with seven shots on goal in 14:32 of ice time.
Carcone didn’t make his NHL debut until well past his 25th birthday. Everything about his journey to reach the top level has been improbable. He went undrafted into the league and was traded three times before he ever got his first NHL chance in Arizona.
Now, playing in the first season of a new two-year, one-way deal, he’s starting to put it all together. One game, three goals, one heck of a story.
“It’s pretty crazy, I’m not going to lie. I haven’t really digested it too much right now,” Carcone said. “It’s been a while in the American League, obviously. I’m proud of myself, proud of my linemates. Onto the next one.”
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