Extra time needed as Arizona Coyotes halt losing streak: By the Numbers

Nov 23, 2014, 6:49 AM | Updated: 6:49 am

It looked like déjà vu all over again. Another game, another Arizona Coyotes blown lead. But unlike Thursday night in Dallas, the Coyotes recovered from squandering an early advantage, this time a 2-0 lead, eventually beating the San Jose Sharks 4-3 in a shootout.

Antoine Vermette was the hero of the night, scoring the game’s first goal and its last. The 32-year-old center was the lone goal scorer in the shootout, fooling Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi and snapping Arizona’s two-game losing streak.

Devan Dubnyk got the start in net and played as well as anyone could ask of him given the barrage of shots the Sharks threw his way. He stopped 40 of 43 shots and all three San Jose shootout attempts to earn his fifth win of the season (5-0-1).

Arizona sold out to keep pucks away for their netminder, blocking 31 shots. Defenseman Michael Stone led the way with six blocks while Connor Murphy and David Schlemko had five each.

In addition to Vermette, Shane Doan and Schlemko also potted goals, as the Coyotes scored more than two goals for the first time in four games.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s win by the numbers:

1 (Part I)

David Schlemko scored his first goal of the season to give the Coyotes a 2-0 lead. The defenseman is on a redemption tour, of sorts, after being waived on Nov. 14. Schlemko was recalled on Tuesday after Brandon Gormley was moved to injured reserve.

1 (Part II)

San Jose got on the board early in the second period with a short-handed goal by Tommy Wingels. The shortie was San Jose’s first of the year. Arizona has now allowed three goals this season while on the power play.

6-1

While the Coyotes have struggled to scoop up wins so far this season, they’ve had little trouble in their own division. Arizona is now 6-1 against Pacific Division opponents.

7

Shane Doan scored his seventh goal of the season in the third period to briefly give the Coyotes a 3-2 lead. He has scored all seven of his goals this season on the road.

10

Since the start of the 2009-10 season, no two teams have met in the shootout more often than the Coyotes and Sharks. The two Pacific Division rivals have met 10 times in the skills competition, two more than any other set of teams.

16/17

Before the Sharks’ Joe Pavelski ted the game midway through the third period with a power play goal, the Coyotes had killed off 16 of their last 17 penalties. While they did not kill off the third period’s only penalty, Arizona had a huge PK in overtime that kept them in the game.

18

The Coyotes were badly outshot on Saturday, putting 18 fewer pucks on net than their opponent (43-25). Arizona was outshot in every period except the five-minute overtime.