‘Yotes Notes: Coyotes come up short, drop fifth straight

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’ 2-1 loss to the Canucks on March 21.
The Good:
The Coyotes scored their first goal of the game on the power play, something that had been missing for a while. Radim Vrbata, who missed 14 games with an injury, got an assist on the goal, scored by Antoine Vermette.
The Coyotes brought the intensity for the second game in a row, outhitting Vancouver 50 to 19. They also out-hustled the Canucks for the most part, but the goals simply wouldn’t come.
The Bad:
The Coyotes were left chasing the game — again — in the first period after Christopher Tanev was left free and clear in the slot after Mikkel Boedker tripped. That’s becoming a major issue for the team.
The Canucks scored the go-ahead goal after replacement Jason LaBarbera stopped play. It appeared he believed he was interfered with, but no whistle was blown.
The penalty struggle continued for Phoenix, who spent a total of 10 minutes in the box. Two penalties taken negated a Phoenix power play.
Noted:
The Coyotes have now lost five straight games.
The Coyotes welcomed an overcapacity crowd of 17,220.
Vermette’s goal was his 16th career point against Vancouver in 20 career games.
Mike Smith was pulled before the third period after taking two hard hits in the second period.
Up Next:
The Coyotes will enjoy a weekend without a game. They take on the Detroit Red Wings on Monday at 7 p.m. in Glendale.