Coyotes can’t overcome another stoppable goal in loss to Rangers
Oct 23, 2016, 7:56 PM | Updated: 8:04 pm
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
NEW YORK — The Coyotes may be at the point of sitting goaltender Louis Domingue down for a spell. Domingue isn’t necessarily making more mistakes than the rest of the team’s young players, but he endures the unenviable reality of his mistakes showing up on the scoreboard.
For the second straight game on this fruitless road trip — and against a second-straight New York team — Domingue allowed a third-period goal he should have stopped. For the second straight time, that goal was the difference, this time in a 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
Defenseman Dan Girardi’s one-timer from the right point, just 1:55 into the final period, eluded Domingue to the far side of the net. He appeared to have a clean look at it with forward Jordan Martinook skirting out of the way, but just like Johnny Boychuk’s goal in the third period of Friday’s loss to the Islanders, Domingue couldn’t get a piece of his equipment on it.
“It changes the whole tone of the game because you’re chasing the game then,” coach Dave Tippett said. “It’s really a nothing play. I don’t know if the puck just dropped on him or what but (when) you’ve got a team that played last night you keep the pressure on them, but then they can play a nice comfortable game when they’re up a goal.”
Tippett noted that Domingue made some big saves after that, including this spectacular save on Rick Nash.
Domingue does not miss this nearly unstoppable shot. Rick Nash is visibly impressed. pic.twitter.com/cfhwszrtRp
— InGoal Magazine (@InGoalMedia) October 24, 2016
The Coyotes need to learn how to pick their goaltender up as much as he picks them up, but with all the youth dotting this lineup there is little margin for error right now.
“That’s a key save that we need at that time,” Tippett said. “That’s a mistake that we can’t have at that time.”
Domingue had a pair of rough outings to open this trip in Canada. When he relieved injured Mike Smith in the third period in Ottawa on Tuesday, Chris Kelly scored 12 seconds later and Domingue allowed three goals on 11 shots. In his native Montreal on Thursday, he allowed four goals on 19 shots before Justin Peters relieved him.
Domingue was better against the Islanders, stopping 28 of 31 shots, but after Brad Richardson lost a defensive zone faceoff, Johnny Boychuk’s shorthanded, third-period knuckleball slipped under his blocker for the game-winner.
Through four games, Domingue’s .851 save percentage ranks 41st out of 44 goalies and his 5.03 goals against average is dead last in the NHL.
Tippett acknowledged Saturday that Domingue is in a tough spot filling in on the road, but with Smith listed as week to week with a left leg injury, the Coyotes need someone to stem the bleeding. They went back to Domingue on Sunday based off what did last season and what goalie coach Jon Elkin was seeing in his game at practice, but it may be time for Peters to get another look while Domingue collects himself.
Arizona appeared to be taking control of Sunday’s game against a team that had to rally from a two-goal deficit the night before against the Washington Capitals. The Coyotes outshot the Rangers 13-7 in the second and after forward J.T. Miller had given New York a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal, Coyotes forward Radim Vrbata evened the game off a pinpoint pass from Max Domi as Vrbata streaked up the slot.
“That was the perfect play,” Vrbata said of Domi’s pass. “It was actually a broken play because I jumped on the ice when (Anthony Duclair) was changing and Max was still on the ice. That was a skill play.”
Arizona could get nothing more however, and has scored two goals in each of its last three losses. Arizona is 0-4 on this six-game road trip that continues Tuesday in New Jersey — new territory for a bunch of players who won consistently in juniors.
“It looks good for some parts of the game but not good enough,” Vrbata said. “We are learning that it’s tough to win in this league.”