PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Defenseman David Tanabe wasted little time making an impact with the Phoenix Coyotes.
Tanabe scored with 22 seconds remaining in overtime, lifting Coyotes to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues in the season opener for both teams.
Acquired in an offseason trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, Tanabe gave Phoenix its first opening-night victory in three years and third win in as many meetings with St. Louis. After scoring 15 goals in 251 games with Carolina, he put a soft backhander through traffic past Blues goaltender Chris Osgood and was mobbed by his teammates.
"(It was) just out of desperation," Tanabe said of the shot. "I was moving across the blue line and trying to get the puck to the net. I threw it on my backhand. I don't know if I could ever do that again. It was one of those pucks that came off my stick right and happened to find its way to the net."
"I don't even know where the guy shot it from," said a surprised Osgood. "He came across and a bunch of guys came to the front of the net. I felt it nick me, but it was in before I knew it."
Limited to a career-low 22 games last season due to an assortment of injuries, Sean Burke looked sharp in his fourth season opener with Phoenix. He turned aside 21 shots in regulation before making stick saves on defenseman Chris Pronger and Pavol Demitra prior to Tanabe's tally.
"This win is huge for us," Burke said. "That is a big team we were playing tonight. We did a great job."
Daymond Langkow netted a power-play goal for the Coyotes, who improved to 11-10-4 in season openers.
Former Coyote Keith Tkachuk tallied on the power play for the Blues, who remained winless in their last seven opening games (0-4-2-1).
The 23-year-old Tanabe is part of a revamped and young defense corps, which killed off six of seven St. Louis power plays and provided the Coyotes with a strong physical presence.
"I thought we paid the price," Coyotes coach Bob Francis said. "The blue line did an exceptional job."
Phoenix, which had the NHL's 22nd-ranked power play last season, scored on its first chance of the new season as Langkow set a screen and deflected Shane Doan's slap shot through Osgood's pads with 11:17 remaining in the first period.
St. Louis knotted the contest with 4:25 to go in the second. With Phoenix defenseman Cale Hulse serving a roughing penalty, Demitra set up near the point and fired a shot that deflected off Tkachuk's stick in front.
But that was it for the Blues as Burke and Phoenix's physical play kept St. Louis from crashing the net most of the night.
While Burke was frustrating St. Louis, Osgood was doing the same to the Coyotes.
Until Tanabe scored, Phoenix failed to capitalize on several chances. Langkow had an opportunity to net his second goal of the game during a man advantage late in the second as Osgood briefly fell out of position. But the former Stanley Cup-winning goalie regained his composure and made a stick save.
"They crashed the net hard," Blues coach Joel Quenneville said. "Osgood kept his composure in that regard and stood his ground."
