Sam Gagner leads Arizona Coyotes to first win of 2015: By the Numbers
Jan 4, 2015, 4:35 AM | Updated: 4:40 am
The new year couldn’t have started off much better for the Arizona Coyotes.
First, their new majority owner, Andrew Barroway, eased some concerns about whether the ‘Yotes would exit the desert.
“I’m committed to be here,” Barroway said after being introduced Friday as the Coyotes’ majority owner. “It’s a beautiful place. We have some passionate fans. We can build a winning, long-term organization here and really, really thrive.”
Starting with Saturday night’s 6-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, of course.
Arizona center Sam Gagner scored a pair of power-play goals and doled out an assist to lead the Coyotes (15-19-4) to their fourth win in five games.
Tobias Reider scored first at 13:17 in the first period, and early in the second Columbus slipped two past goaltender Mike Smith.
But the Coyotes came back with a vengeance, scoring five unanswered goals, to which the Blue Jackets could only reply with one of their own.
What did Arizona’s first win under Barroway look like, by the numbers?
1-0
Arizona is officially undefeated in 2015! After a tough December in which the Coyotes lost 7-of-13 games played (including a five-game losing streak), Arizona can start the new year fresh.
3 (part I)
Martin Hanzal was stellar in front of the net, doling out three assists as well as putting in a goal of his own in the six-point effort.
3 (part II)
Arizona’s three power-play goals (two of which were Gagner’s, one of which was Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s) were an impressive feat, as the team had only previously attained 10 power-play goals at home this season.
34-26
The ‘Yotes peppered Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky with 34 shots to their opponents’ 26.
Bobrovsky was pulled after allowing 6 goals on 31 shots.
23
Columbus had 23 penalty minutes to Arizona’s 11, including a throwing-the-stick penalty called on the former’s Ryan Johansen.
1 (part I)
Arizona’s Smith got his first win in almost a month, stopping 23 shots in the effort.
1 (part II)
Barroway gave his new players one awesome fist-bump each before dropping the puck with his son to start the game.
Arizona will see him much more to start 2015, as the win kicked off a six-game home stand.
