Pavelski, Sharks get best of Coyotes in Visentin’s debut: By The Numbers

As far as NHL debuts go, Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Mark Visentin’s got off to a rather inauspicious start Saturday night at Jobing.com Arena.

Visentin yielded two, tough-angle goals to San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski in the first nine minutes and 56 seconds of the contest before settling in between the pipes.

While the 21-year-old made 28 saves in all, the two first-period goals loomed large as he received little offensive support over the final 50 minutes of play.

Another sluggish start proved too big to overcome, as the Coyotes fell for the seventh straight game by a final of 3-2.

Here’s a look back at the one-goal loss by the numbers:

0:

If Phoenix fails to win Sunday, it will endure its first winless month in franchise history. During the 2003-04 season, the Coyotes failed to win their first 10 games in March before winning on the road in overtime against the Minnesota Wild.

1:

San Jose has made Jobing.com Arena a home away from home over the last two seasons. In four games, Todd McLellan’s squad has left with six out of a possible eight points.

3:

The Coyotes’ offense has gone quiet at the wrong time of the year. Phoenix has failed to score more than three goals in 12 consecutive games. And during that span, the Coyotes have netted one goal or less four times.

7:

Phoenix’s seven-game losing streak is tied for the longest during Dave Tippett’s tenure. In 2013, the Coyotes also dropped seven straight from March 14-17.

12:

Fourth-line winger Paul Bissonnette played for the first time since March 25. In eight minutes and 39 seconds of ice time, Bissonnette recorded a team-high four penalty minutes and seven hits.

21:

At the age of 21, Visentin became the youngest Phoenix netminder to start a game since Robert Esche back in March 1999.

22:

Captain Shane Doan tallied his 22nd goal of the season in Saturday’s third period. Doan hasn’t scored 22 goals since the 2008-09 campaign.

24:

Mike Ribeiro lit the lamp in the second period for just the second time in 24 games. Only he records two points in Sunday’s season finale, the team’s top free agent acquisition will finish with his lowest point total since 2002-03.

41:

With his two goals, Pavelski passed the 40-goal mark for the first time in his NHL career. His previous career-high of 31 tallies came back during the 2011-12 season.