The Arizona Coyotes had a hot start in their return to action, scoring four first period goals.
The Arizona Coyotes hadn’t scored three goals in the first period since October 2015.
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On Friday night they upped that number to four.
Brendan Perlini had the magic mitts, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Radim Vrbata added three assists each, and the Yotes held on to win over the Winnipeg Jets, 4-3.
After spending half of a season struggling to score even two goals per game, a four goal outburst was just what the doctor ordered.
Shawn Matthias got the Jets on the board early, but Perlini had other ideas.
Handling a pass from OEL on the rush, Perlini beat Connor Hellebuyck to score his first goal of the night.
Of course, that goal came on the heels of his hat trick on Tuesday night during his brief reassignment to AHL Tucson.
Less than six minutes later, Peter Holland had scored his first goal as a Coyote and Jamie McGinn followed that up with another tally to give the Arizona Coyotes a 3-1 lead.
Brendan Perlini wasn’t done lighting up the scoreboard either.
Gifted with another clear chance on Hellebuyck, Perlini shot and was stopped by the goaltender. Undeterred, he gathered his own rebound and put it past the netminder for his second goal of the night.
I’ll be honest, from that point on there wasn’t nearly as much to like about the Coyotes game.
For many fans, it was two periods of hoping for a Perl hat trick and one agonizing period of white-knuckle why-are-they-on-their-heels hockey.
Still, the Yotes got a much needed win at home.
Arizona Coyotes Player of the Game
Brendan Perlini is doing his utmost to replicate the excitement fans experienced in the rookie seasons of Max Domi and Anthony Duclair.
More from Howlin' Hockey
He’s big, he’s fast as hell, and he’s not afraid to take a shot.
All of those are things the Coyotes are in desperate need of, so it’s kind of fitting that one of the forgotten prospects rekindles fans’ love affair with him and the team in an NHL season no one expected him to be playing in.
Two goals and one hell of a show. Thanks, Perl. We appreciate the entertainment.
The View From The 200 Level
Incomplete efforts are a staple of this season.
It’s no surprise that a stellar four goal frame was followed up by some risk averse hockey.
Whether this team was good or bad, that would have happened much the same. That’s just how the NHL works.
Instead of concerning ourselves with the letdown in the latter frames, perhaps we should be encouraged by what we saw beforehand.
Brendan Perlini is coming along nicely. Radim Vrbata continues to add value and potentially sweeten the pot for a nice return at the trade deadline.
Most importantly, Oliver Ekman-Larsson looked like Oliver Ekman-Awesome instead of whatever imposter has suited up on several nights in this 2016-17 season.
The week off might have been good for everyone, but if it resulted in a rejuvenated OEL then there is more hope to be had moving forward.
Enjoy the victory. The Yotes are back on the ice tomorrow night at 6 PM against Anaheim.
