Late no-call sinks Arizona Coyotes’ hopes in Nashville

Regulation wins have been hard to come by this season for the Arizona Coyotes.

In fact, the struggling Coyotes have only four 60-minute wins this season, by far the lowest total in the NHL.

It looked like they might be on the way to a fifth Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators — defending Western Conference champions and owners of the third-best record in the entire league.

But, as has been the case in this frustrating campaign, it wasn’t to be.

Arizona led 2-1 with just 2:36 to go in the third period. Nashville tied the game on a one-timer from inside the blue line from Ryan Ellis. However, Predators center Nick Bonino appeared to interfere with (more to the point — whack) Coyotes goal Antti Raanta as the puck was in flight.

Goaltender Interference? #ARIvsNSH pic.twitter.com/EbctzbRxHl

— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) January 19, 2018

Head coach Rick Tocchet pleaded his case to the officials, who looked at the video and after a lengthy delay, ruled there was no interference on the play. The goal counted and the game would go to overtime and a shootout, where the Predators would win, 3-2, on a clinching score by Craig Smith.

“If that’s not interference, I don’t know what is,” Coyotes analyst Tyson Nash said during the telecast on Fox Sports Arizona.

Tocchet agreed with Nash in his postgame media availablity.

“I thought the stick hit (Raanta) before the goal, but I guess they didn’t think it was enough to overturn it,” he said, before turning a bit diplomatic. “They’re good refs, it could have gone either way.”

Raanta wasn’t sure whether or not Bonino’s stick distracted him in any way, instead pointing out the bodies shielding his view in front of the net.

“I don’t know, there was so much going on in front of me, so I was just trying to see the puck,” he said. “But I couldn’t see it and it went in.”

The Coyotes have now lost three shootouts in their last five games and are 1-4 in such contests this year — only the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators have more.

Arizona continues its road trip Saturday night in St. Louis against the Blues. The game can be heard on ESPN 620 AM, with Bob Heethuis and Paul Bissonnette on the call. Face-off is at 6 p.m.

Related

Diamondbacks top pick Ryder Helfrick gets major league preview: ‘It was unreal’USHL announces 2 expansion teams coming to ArizonaNHL exploring expansion locations, Arizona not at forefrontCoyotes legend Keith Tkachuk elected to Hockey Hall of Fame after sons become teammatesToronto Maple Leafs win the lottery for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL DraftMaple Leafs hiring John Chayka as new GM is ‘like a nightmare’ from Shane Doan’s past