Arizona Coyotes Fall In Overtime, Lose 2-1 Against Calgary
The Arizona Coyotes took the ice in Calgary with some much needed reinforcements, but fell prey to the same traps.
The Arizona Coyotes got Mike Smith back after a significant absence.
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They proceeded to nearly put him back on IR with a disastrous third period.
The first period was a fairly even and boring affair with no score. The second is where the trouble started for Arizona.
Calgary didn’t completely dominate the frame, but they kept the Coyotes on the defensive.
Michael Ferland knocked Oliver Ekman-Larsson out of the game momentarily, and then Dennis Wideman did the same to Anthony Duclair.
Right after Wideman hit Duke, however, Tobias Rieder managed to snag a late second period goal to send the Arizona Coyotes into the locker room up 1-0.
Other than Smitty’s heroics, that was the final highlight for the Coyotes.
The Flames came out and dominated the third.
From about eight minutes into the period until the final whistle of regulation, they peppered Mike Smith with shots and hemmed the Yotes in their own zone.
When Arizona did manage to clear the puck, they turned it over and right back came Calgary.
Smitty backstopped the team to a loser’s point and a chance in overtime.
Unfortunately, Brad Richardson turned the puck over at center ice and Michael Frolik scored to win it for the Flames.
Arizona Coyotes Player of the Game
Mike Smith was great in his return to the crease. You can’t really hold him accountable for either goal.
The Matthew Tkachuk goal was a thing of beauty and based on placement there was little Smith could do to prevent the tally. The Frolik goal was a breakaway in overtime. That’s basically a 50/50 coin flip every time, and Smith and the Coyotes lost the toss this go ’round.
Smitty saved 22 of 24 and really deserved a better fate. His play in the third period was on another level.
The View From The 200 Level
When you get hammered in possession by the Calgary Flames (of all teams) 68 shot attempts to 37, you’re lucky to have even earned a loser’s point.
Such is life for the Arizona Coyotes.
Connor Murphy and Jakob Chychrun were inexplicably sat in favor of Luke Schenn and Kevin Connauton.
I understand wanting to work those two back into the lineup, but if any player on the blue line is going to sit, it needs to be Alex Goligoski.
He continues to find new ways to disappoint night in and night out.
Jordan Martinook continues to produce offensively for the Yotes. It’d be nice if one of the actual offensive players followed suit.
Did you know Martin Hanzal returned to the lineup tonight? No?
He didn’t seem to realize that either.
The Yotes are going to attempt to dust themselves off and get back at it tomorrow night in Vancouver.
A failure to gain a point against the Canucks would truly be scraping the bottom.
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