Arizona Coyotes flat in 4-1 loss to San Jose Sharks

Tonight began as a celebration of Arizona Coyotes past and present. It ended with a frustrating 4-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks as the offense that had characterized the Coyotes’ most recent road-trip escaped them.

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0 San Jose - The Sharks got on the board early in this one thanks to offensive-defenseman extraordinaire Brent Burns. Burns weaved his way through several Coyotes low on the near-side before circling back up to the high slot, where he wristed a shot past Mike Smith for his 26th goal this season. Assist to Melker Karlsson on the goal at 9:01.

2-0 San Jose - Not content to just assist on goals, Melker Karlsson doubled San Jose’s lead on a blown attempt by Oliver Ekman-Larsson in the neutral zone to break up a pass evolved into a two-on-one. Karlsson kept the puck, and made no mistake on his wrist shot from the far-side. Assists to Micheal Haley and Brenden Dillon on the goal at 14:26.

Second Period

3-0 San Jose - Continuing the trend of primary assisters scoring the next goal for the Sharks, Micheal Haley scored his first of the season on a hard slap-shot from the high slot. Assists to Paul Martin and Melker Karlsson on the goal at 2:34.

Third Period

3-1 San Jose - Arizona finally got one of their own back thanks to Martin Hanzal, who scored his 15th goal of the season by poking a rebound home in front of Sharks goalie Aaron Dell. Assists to Alex Goligoski and Radim Vrbata on the goal at :33.

4-1 San Jose - Not content with one, Brent Burns scored a second goal from the high slot, this one on the power play. His shot did not appear to change direction much, but it slipped through Mike Smith’s wickets to cap off what was a forgettable night for the Coyotes goaltender. Assists to Logan Couture and Joe Thornton on the power play goal at 16:35.

Players of the Game

San Jose - Brent Burns - Burns has been absolutely stellar all year, and somehow managed to improve on his already incredible 1+ point per game pace this season with a pair of goals tonight.

Arizona - Martin Hanzal - Hanzal has scored five times in his last five games after tonight’s tally. If he’s going to get dealt at the Trade Deadline, he’s going to command a high price.

Paw Prints

• For more on the San Jose Sharks, check out Fear the Fin
• Martin Jones received a rare night off for the Sharks as Aaron Dell started his tenth game of the season. He stopped 36 of 37 shots.
• Jakob Chychrun returned to action tonight in his first game since February 9th. He played 16:36.
• Arizona outshot the Coyotes 16-9 in the first period, and 29-21 after two periods.
• There were only two penalties called in tonight’s game, both against Arizona.
• Hanzal tied a career high in goals in a single season tonight with 15.
• Micheal Haley scored his first goal since March 5th, 2016 against the Vancouver Canucks.

Looking Ahead

Arizona hosts the Anaheim Ducks next on Monday evening. Puck drop is at 7 PM Arizona time.