Raanta’s first shutout as a Coyote leads team to 4th straight win
Feb 17, 2018, 6:36 PM | Updated: Feb 18, 2018, 12:36 pm
Arizona Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta (32) and defenseman Alex Goligoski (33) slide over to protect the goal against a shot from Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Strome (18) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. The Coyotes defeated the Oilers 1-0. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Antti Raanta came within 1:12 of posting his first shutout as a Coyote in his first game with Arizona on Oct. 7 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
He had to wait 34 more appearances to close the deal.
Raanta stopped all 40 shots he faced and Christian Dvorak scored early in the first period to lead Coyotes to a 1-0 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Gila River Arena on Saturday afternoon.
“It’s always special,” Raanta said of his ninth career shutout. “When the team is playing like that, when you only need to make the first save and the guys are making sure that there are no rebounds it makes your life a little easier. You never get the shutouts by yourself.”
The Coyotes (17-32-10), have won four straight games, their longest winning streak of the season. Arizona is 5-0-1 in past six games and 8-5-5 since Jan. 4. This is the first four-game winning streak for the Coyotes since Jan. 4-12, 2016.
Raanta is 7-3-4 in his past 15 games (14 starts). He has stopped 430 of 459 shots in those games for a .937 save percentage.
“He’s really kind of dug in here the last six weeks,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “Any team in this league, you have to have good goaltending to win. That’s No. 1.”
Dvorak gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead at 3:26 of the first period when Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s shot from the left point banked off goalie Cam Talbot, struck Dvorak and bounced into the net. The goal came on Arizona’s first shot. Edmonton has allowed a goal on the first shot of the game 11 times this season.
It was Dvorak’s 10th goal. He is the fourth player in Coyotes history (Peter Mueller, Tobias Rieder, Brendan Perlini) to begin his career with back-to-back double-digit goal seasons.
“I didn’t even know that,” Dvorak said. “I don’t really think about personal achievements.
“I think I’ve been better as the season has gone on here. I’m trying to produce a little more offensively and help the team win.”
Talbot thought Dvorak interfered with him.
“I just don’t understand it,” Talbot said. “There’s just no consistency and I’m [expletive] sick of it.”
Patrick Maroon thought he had tied the game at 11:08 of the third period when Oscar Klembom’s shot banked off his head and into the net. However, Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet challenged the goal for goaltender interference and the call on the ice was overturned.
“I felt that I couldn’t move couldn’t move my right arm,” Raanta said. “He kind of took my stick and blocker hand away. It was a high shot so you just want to put it to the corner with your blocker and I couldn’t do it.”
Among goalies who have played at least 30 games this season, Raanta is tied for fourth in the NHL with a .923 save percentage. Now healthy, Raanta said this is the best he has felt all year.
“Yeah, probably overall, how I’m moving, how I’m tracking the puck and kind of being patient,” Raanta said. “When you get a couple wins and confidence is getting higher, that’s usually when the game feels a little bit simpler and maybe a little bit more slowed down.”
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