Coyotes continue record pace, score two shorthanded goals at Flyers

When the chips are stacked against them, the Arizona Coyotes seem to get better.

Entering play Thursday, the Coyotes had scored seven shorthanded goals through 13 games.

Make that nine as Arizona netted two shortys against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, continuing the team’s success with fewer players on the ice in 2018.

The best part?

The goals were a mere 24 seconds apart.

Looking at a tied 2-2 game, Derek Stepan gave the Coyotes the lead with the first shorthanded goal of the night.

Looking for the go-ahead goal?

He’ll Step right up. pic.twitter.com/6g90MHC5wN

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) November 9, 2018

But it wouldn’t be a shorty party without Michael Grabner.

One penalty.
Two shorties.

What, like it’s hard? pic.twitter.com/mtOdRXy9bn

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) November 9, 2018

With his latest goal, Grabner has three shorthanded goals on the season, tied with Brad Richardson for the team high. He now has 18 career shorthanded goals, good for seventh among active NHL players.

“I think he’s got one of the better sticks you’ll see in the league,” Richardson said of Grabner in October. “He’s good at kind of baiting guys in and putting a puck where he wants them to and he can intercept it and knock pucks down. But we’ve just been reading off each other well. We know what we’re doing and then if there’s a chance there, we’re trying to go. He’s got exceptional speed so you want to try to use that if you can.”

If it feels like the Coyotes have capitalized when on the penalty kill, it’s because they have.

Not only have the Coyotes added to the win column thanks to their shorthanded play, they’ve also made it into the NHL record books.

According to Arizona, the Coyotes are the only team since 1977 — when the NHL first kept track — to be +5 with nine SHG and four power play goals allowed at any point in the season.

The Coyotes are also just the second team since the 1933-34 season to score nine SHG in its first 14 games.

Despite the two shorthanded goals, Arizona fell to Philadelphia in overtime, 5-4.

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