‘Yotes Notes: Despite big first period, Coyotes fall to Avalanche in OT
Nov 26, 2014, 5:53 AM | Updated: 5:56 am
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Scoring first in any sport is a pretty useful thing, especially in hockey.
Unless you’re the Arizona Coyotes.
After jumping out to a 3-0 lead over the Colorado Avalanche, the Coyotes found a way, not only let the Avs back into the game, but lose it in overtime.
Oh, and Coyotes center Martin Hanzal scored the game-winner for the Avs by accident.
The goals came fast and early for Arizona, who chased Colorado starting goalie Reto Berra off the ice with three goals on eight shots in less than 11 minutes. The Coyotes kept rolling in the first, only allowing eight shots and spending a majority of the period in the Avs’ zone.
The Coyotes let the Avalanche back into the game a little bit in the second. A bit of pretty passing — a rare thing in Colorado this season — finished with the puck in the back of Mike Smith’s net. Even the Avs looked surprised it happened.
But that was all the Avs needed. From then on, it was all Colorado, all the time. The Avs booted down the door in the third period, firing two quick ones past Mike Smith and Arizona barely hung on for overtime, where the game was was decided when Martin Hanzal scored on his own team.
THE GOOD
The Coyotes looked great in the first period. They were moving well, making smart passes and winning battles. They dominated the first 10 minutes and jumped out to a 3-0 lead. It looked, for all intents and purposes, that the game was over before it began.
But then the second and third happened.
THE BAD
You know how, when you have a team on the ropes, you should keep the pedal to the floor, per se? Someone should tell the Coyotes that. After dominating Colorado in the first, the Coyotes gave the Avs a flicker of hope in the second. Arizona looked lackluster, like they already had the game won.
The Coyotes managed eight shots in the period, with a vast majority of those coming on a late power play. Nothing gives a visiting team momentum than putting more shots on net and cutting down the home team’s lead.
The poor play continued in the third, when the Coyotes allowed the Avs to level things up with two quick goals and 15:55 still left to play.
Things just got worse in overtime, as the Avs were all over the Coyotes. It looked like Arizona would hang on for the shootout, but a cross-ice pass from Colorado forward Daniel Briere was redirected by Hanzal into his own net, sealing the loss.
STAT OF THE GAME
The last time the Coyotes blew a 3-0 lead, the New Orleans Saints were the reigning Super Bowl champs and we had yet to find out the conclusion of the “Harry Potter” film series.
On Feb. 1, 2011, the San Jose Sharks rallied from 3-0 down to beat the Coyotes 5-4. On Tuesday, the Avs rallied from 3-0 down to win 4-3.
HE SAID IT
“It doesn’t feel good leaving points out there. We had a good handle on the game after the first period and let it get away. Even after the second period — we didn’t have as good of a period as the first — but we were still up two goals, so it doesn’t feel good when we go into the third period and blow leads,” – Coyotes defensemen Michael Stone on the loss.
NOTED
– When Vermette opened the scoring in the first, he kept a record going: He leads the team in first period goals this season with four. The Coyotes are 7-2-2 when he puts up a point this season.
– It only took 10:53 of hockey for Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone to notch two points (1-1-2), tying his career-high for points in a single game. It’s his fifth career multi-point game.
– Coyotes rookie Tobias Rieder, who notched the team’s third goal in the first period, is tied with Mikkel Boedker and Rob Klinkhammer for a team-high plus-3 rating on home ice.
– The Coyotes lost to the Washington Capitols on home ice last week in overtime. The Coyotes lost to the Avs on home ice Tuesday in overtime. Ready for it to get weird? Both overtime goals were scored at 3:16. Eerie.
UP NEXT
The Coyotes welcome the Calgary Flames on Saturday. The game has a late faceoff — 8 p.m. — so take a nap beforehand. If you’re not in the stands, the game can be heard on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
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