Game Recap
The Arizona Coyotes’ road trip ended with a whimper and the fourth straight loss for the team. It was a wild game where special teams were on full display that unfortunately saw the Desert Dogs fall 4-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Despite it being a six-goal game, there were no 5-on-5 goals. Instead, special teams proved to be the deciding factor.
The Coyotes took their first of five penalties just 48 seconds in when Michael Kesselring was called for holding. This quickly led to the first of many power play goals, with Jake Guentzel scoring his 11th of the season from Sidney Crosby and Valtteri Puustinen.
Thankfully, the Coyotes weren’t about to give up there. On the Coyotes’ first power play, Lawson Crouse lit the lamp for his 13th of the season from Jason Zucker and Juuso Välimäki, tying the game 1-1.
Crouse would be followed by an unfortunate/comedic series of events that would foreshadow the Coyotes’ inability to control the game. Seven seconds after Crouse got the Yotes on the board, Liam O’Brien was called for interference and sent to the box. Four seconds after that, Crosby was sent to the box for slashing, and the Coyotes had a chance 4-on-4. Then, 19 seconds after Crosby was sent the box, Nick Bjugstad took a tripping call, and it was an abbreviated 4-on-3.
Neither team managed to score during this dumb series of events, but it shows how sloppy the Coyotes have been during their past few games.
But Arizona wasn’t done getting power plays, and three-quarters of the way through the first, Matias Maccelli picked up a rebound from a Lawson Crouse shot and knocked it home. The Coyotes had gotten their first lead of the game from the power play, and things seemed to be looking up from there.
The Coyotes were given another power play to close out the period and a chance to make the Penguins pay. A goal here would have put the Coyotes up 3-1, potentially taking any fight out of the Penguins. Instead, Jeff Carter got sprung short-handed and scored, tying the game late in the opening period.
Neither team did much in the second period, although it became clear that the Penguins were starting to run away with the game. They finished the first period outshooting the Coyotes 14-7, and the second period ended with Pittsburgh outshooting them 32-17.
The third period started with another early Coyotes penalty, Kesselring again, this time for high-sticking, and another Pittsburgh goal from Jeff Carter. The Coyotes had a power play midway through the period, and a chance to tie it up, but a too many men on the ice call negated the final 30 seconds. Jake Guentzel would hit the empty net with a minute and a half left, sealing the Coyotes’ fate.
While special teams played a factor, the Coyotes seemed to lose all energy as the game progressed. It could be because they played the previous night, but four shots on goal in the final period when you are down 3-2 is not enough. Either way, the only thing for the Coyotes to do now is dust themselves off and see if they can do better at home.
Lines
Three Stars
- Jeff Carter – 2 goals
- Lawson Crouse – Goal and an assist
- Jake Guentzel – 2 goals
Puck Drop
The Coyotes will play this Friday against the San Jose Sharks at home.