Coyotes can’t heat up, fall to Canucks: By the Numbers
Mar 23, 2015, 4:48 AM | Updated: 4:49 am
Oliver Ekman-Larsson proved once again how skilled he is, but despite his impressive end-to-end goal the Coyotes couldn’t rally behind him and fell to the Canucks 3-1 Sunday night.
It wasn’t for lack of effort by goaltender Mike Smith, who made 41 saves in the loss.
Vancouver’s Yannick Weber scored at 14:23, and that’s when Ekman-Larsson decided to take matters into his own gloves:
End. To. End. @OEL_23.
This kid is sick.
https://t.co/RW42fnn2Vf
— NHL (@NHL) March 23, 2015
After, bad luck came Smith’s way when a shot by defenseman Alexander Edler banked off the post and off Smith’s back to slide in and give the Canucks the lead.
An empty net goal by Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin with about a minute left to play further sank the Coyotes.
And the worst part?
It’s Smith’s birthday.
Mike Smith (41 saves): “Can't even get a win on my birthday. “
— Craig Morgan (@cmorganfoxaz) March 23, 2015
What did the loss look like, by the numbers?
33
Smith turned 33 years old Sunday.
20
Ekman-Larsson’s goal was his 20th of the season. He currently leads all NHL defensemen in scoring and is the fourth defenseman in Coyotes franchise history to score 20 goals in a season.
44
The Canucks peppered Smith, outshooting the Coyotes 44-27.
40
The game was tied 1-1 for 40 minutes before Edler slipped one past (and off) Smith.
11
Re. Fox Sports’ Craig Morgan:
Weird fact. 11 of the Coyotes' 21 wins this season are against Canadian teams. EDM (5), TOR (2), VAN (2), WPG (1), MON (1).
— Craig Morgan (@cmorganfoxaz) March 23, 2015
18
The loss marks the Coyotes’ eighth in a row, and 18th in their last 19 games.
They’ll travel to Detroit to take on the Red Wings Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
