‘Yotes Notes: Coyotes fall short to Wild despite late push
Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but we all know that won’t tell you everything that happened in a hockey game. So, we will give you ‘Yotes Notes, providing you with the analysis, quotes and notes from the Coyotes’ 4-3 loss to the Wild on February 28.
The Good:
The Coyotes fourth line kept the momentum going from the Canadian road trip, generating the best scoring chances and netting a goal by defenseman Rostislav Klesla.
Shane Doan’s goal was a beauty, with a great setup and calm execution from the captain to narrow the scoring gap to 4-3 with about :45 remaining in the game.
Jason LaBarbera looked good once he came in for Mike Smith (see The Bad for more). Granted, he only faced eight shots, but gave up no goals, unlike his compatriot.
The Coyotes continued their dominance in the faceoff circle, winning 60 percent of them. Both Antoine Vermette (13-of-20) and Boyd Gordon (10-of-14) were quite good.
The Bad:
Mike Smith was what you would call less than stellar. He gave up two goals in the first four shots he faced, and four total goals over the 19 shots he saw in two periods. He was replaced with LaBarbera in the second intermission.
The Coyotes top three lines were unimpressive all night. They failed to generate any offense and did not threaten as expected. The fourth line carried the team the entire night.
The Coyotes’ second goal of the night shouldn’t have happened. A dump pass from Yandle took a zany bounce and wound up squeaking by Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom. Yes, it was a goal, but an undeserved one.
He Said It:
Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett on his team’s performance: “I’m not going to sugarcoat it, but we realize how we have to play and the combination of mistakes and not doing enough to score is not a good recipe.”
Noted:
• Shane Doan scored his 100th career goal at Jobing.com Arena.
• Center Kyle Chipchura now has eight points in his last 10 games.
• Forwards Radim Vrbata and Martin Hanzal both did not suit up for the Coyotes.
• Derek Morris was removed from injured reserve and made his return to the team on Thursday. He had one assist.
Up Next:
The Coyotes will take on division rival Anaheim at Jobing.com Arena on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the first of a three-game series, the first two of which will be played in Glendale.
