Coyotes’ Stepan hopes to step up production with more aggressive play

Derek Stepan had a plan when he arrived in Arizona last summer.

“I wanted to make sure I impressed,” he said. “This organization showed me a lot, making a move at the draft and giving up lot to bring me here in a bigger role. I wanted to show I was ready to step up in big moments.”

The first quarter of the season didn’t go according to plan.

Stepan quickly asserted himself as one of the team’s leaders through his work habits, his study of the game and his willingness, even eagerness to talk about the game or life or anything else that came up. He also did the dirty work that doesn’t show up on the scoresheet, like playing sound positional or defensive hockey, but the production wasn’t there.

After scoring two goals and posting seven points in his first nine games, Stepan went nine games without a point before recording an assist on Nov. 11 against Winnipeg.

“I put so much pressure on myself so production-wise, I was frustrated that I wasn’t able to produce more for them,” he said. “It’s never easy to go through a slump, especially when you’re being counted on like this. I’ll be honest, it snowballed on me.”

A talk with coach Rick Tocchet helped.

“I told him I thought he was playing safe, trying to protect a lot of guys, some young guys he was playing with, instead of being himself,” Tocchet said. “I think playing like that affected him. He wasn’t aggressive enough. He was too worried about what somebody else was going to do and I told him ‘that’s my job to worry about what the other person is doing.'”

Stepan scored his first goal in 14 games on Thursday in Montreal, and it was a big one. He tied the game at 4-4 at 4:54 of the third period on a high wrist shot from the left hash marks on a Coyotes power play. Arizona won that game, 5-4, to snap a five-game losing streak (0-3-2) and post their first regulation win of the season.

“I thought it was good both for me and for our group, too,” Stepan said “It was a monkey off the back.

“Through the first 20 games I would say if ifs and buts were candies and nuts we’d have more wins. We played better hockey than two wins through 20 and we didn’t get rewarded in some games. I don’t think we should have won 18 of 20 but we deserved a little better, so a win like that, I think it can shoot you in the right direction.”

Stepan admitted that adjusting to a new team, new on-ice and off-ice leadership roles, and a new style of play was a lot absorb.

“It’s hard enough to step in and get on board with making new friends, new teammates and building chemistry, but then when you add an element where you want guys to listen to and respect your voice, that’s a lot,” he said. “But with the help of Toc and some of the veteran guys that came in, I have had a good supporting cast.

“It’s all about getting comfortable. Through 21 games, I’ve gotten more and more comfortable.”

With a greater understanding of his role, Stepan will have the chance to produce more, too, Tocchet said.

“Obviously, everyone wants to have an instant impact,” Tocchet said, “but I told him ‘we’re in for some rough nights where we’ll just have to stick with it through this growth process.’

“We want him to produce. I just don’t want him to think he has to have 30 goals or 60 points or he’s having a bad year. I just want him to play the right way, teach our young guys the right way and if he does that, the production will come.”

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Coyotes at Senators
When: Noon, Saturday
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa
TV: FOX Sports Arizona
Radio: ESPN 620 AM
Records: Coyotes — 3-15-3. Senators — 8-4-5.
Injury report: Coyotes — D Jakob Chychrun (knee) is out indefinitely. D Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) is day-to-day. Senators — D Chris Wideman (lower body) is week-to-week. F Zack Smith (thumb) is week-to-week.

Senators scouting report: C Matt Duchene had five shots on goal and a minus-1 rating in 17:31 of ice time in his home debut with the Senators on Thursday, a 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. … F Mark Stone leads the team with 12 goals and 19 points. D Erik Karlsson leads the team with 16 assists. … G Craig Anderson has struggled with an .898 save percentage in 14 games. … Ottawa is allowing the fifth fewest shots on goal per game (30) in the NHL. … Ottawa recalled D Ben Harpur from Belleville of the American Hockey League on Friday.

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